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One unfortunate result of becoming an expert...

by Curtis2011
27 replies
One unfortunate result of becoming an expert in your field is that everyone else who is not an expert appears dumber and more incompetent from your point of view.

As you gain experience in any endeavor (eg SEO, marketing, business operations), you reach higher and higher until you are finally in the top 10% or even top 1% of knowledgeable people in society about that topic.

This unfortunately means that you will slowly begin to see other people as dumber and stupider than yourself in this area.

In fact, it may eventually get so bad that anytime you talk to others about what you do, they are so clueless (and offer such ridiculous opinions of it to you) that you eventually just stop talking about what you do altogether, because only a tiny fraction of people will understand what you do.

This has happened to me at least to a small degree with the topic of SEO and online business. Even though I am not a ridiculous success story, I still wager that I am in the top 10% or higher in the general population of knowledge about SEO (probably higher, I mean really, not many people know about how search engines or online business works).

And this isn't just true for us internet marketing people. It's true for every topic that exists and every person that exists.

This also means that other people who are experts in other areas that you aren't... probably think you're an idiot when you try to talk to them about the area in which they are experts.

For instance, a fitness expert will probably view every person who is out of shape as a fitness idiot. Or an economics experts will probably view every average Joe who shares his uneducated opinion about the economy as an idiot. Or a super social extrovert will probably view every introverted shy lonely person as a socially inept idiot. Or... you get the idea.

So, what area of life are you an expert in? And does it annoy you when you hear other people who have no real clue about that area share their opinion as if they know what they are talking about?
#expert #result #unfortunate
  • Profile picture of the author Loveland Business Coach
    Love it. Never really took the time to think about it much, since I spend a lot of time helping others and they rarely understand exactly what I do.

    I'd say that my area of expertise that you are referring to is becoming aware of beliefs that prevent achievement and reprogramming those beliefs-- All of which I cannot talk to the ordinary person about.
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    • Profile picture of the author heavysm
      In a way it's self-motivation. I know how to do it for myself but I don't like when people close to me or those I meet in casual conversation say negative things about themselves not realizing they are their own self fulfilling prophecy.

      To be clear I'm no expert on the topic, but it's that resilient quality in business people that keeps them afloat. We just move on from failure because we know success is close by.

      It just feels ridiculous sometimes when I hear people drowning in their own misery when they could just make the decision to change the way they feel about themselves. Making that one small change could easily permeate their reality over time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Growing up I scored in the 98th and 99th percentile on standardized tests.

    You just described my life. But you are looking at it wrong. Just because we are smarter doesn't make others dumb. They may have dumb opinions. They may have false knowledge and we may or may not be able to help them learn the correct answers. But in the end it isn't about them. It is about us. You didn't learn _____ so you could talk to ______. We did it because we had a passion for it, a natural affinity for it, and we wanted to learn it.

    Now some of us will want to share the knowledge where others of us will want to keep it to ourselves and that is all ok.

    But when you see others as dumb or beneath you that says more about you than them. I understand that intimately.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Just because you know a few things others don't doesn't make you smarter or them dumber. There are many different kinds of intelligence. Acquired knowledge is only one of them, and it's often an inaccurate means of measuring intelligence.

    How you view others is only your perception of them, not their reality. It's colored strongly by your attitude and internal dialog.

    Many times those who feel superior ... aren't. They have low self-esteem and try to tear others down in order to build themselves up and feel better about themselves. It doesn't work, but they seldom come to realize that on their own. I'm not saying that's what you're doing, but offer it as an illustration to show things aren't always as they seem.

    Be careful about the attitude you have toward others. If people pick up on it you will soon find fewer and fewer people will want to be around you. Those who view others as inferior often find themselves with few, if any, real friends.
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    • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
      Originally Posted by Aaron Doud View Post

      But when you see others as dumb or beneath you that says more about you than them. I understand that intimately.
      It's not that they are 'beneath' me. It's that simply because I have specialized knowledge of a certain area of life that 99% of people don't have, they will always annoy me if they try to talk about that area as if they know what they are talking about but really don't.

      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      Just because you know a few things others don't doesn't make you smarter or them dumber. There are many different kinds of intelligence. Acquired knowledge is only one of them, and it's often an inaccurate means of measuring intelligence.
      That's what I'm saying. In the area of life that you are a genius in, others will always seem stupid in comparison to your knowledge.

      But at the same time, you can extrapolate that to mean that in the areas in which you yourself lack understanding, others who know more than you also view you as being stupid or lacking wisdom.

      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      How you view others is only your perception of them, not their reality. It's colored strongly by your attitude and internal dialog.

      Many times those who feel superior ... aren't. They have low self-esteem and try to tear others down in order to build themselves up and feel better about themselves. It doesn't work, but they seldom come to realize that on their own. I'm not saying that's what you're doing, but offer it as an illustration to show things aren't always as they seem.

      Be careful about the attitude you have toward others. If people pick up on it you will soon find fewer and fewer people will want to be around you. Those who view others as inferior often find themselves with few, if any, real friends.
      I know what you are talking about. But sometimes your diagnosis of others is actually correct, and they sometimes are really stupid or ignorant in one way or another.

      It's not about 'feeling' superior. It's about knowing that you are superior, and it actually being true.

      For an accurate perception of reality, you have to remain humble about your knowledge, but at the same time not let emotional relativism cloud your judgment. Sometimes you really are superior to others in one way or another, so you shouldn't second guess yourself and say "well maybe that's just my feeling and my feeling is incorrect".
      Originally Posted by Odahh View Post

      now it is one thing if you are in a competitive field ..but if you judge the masses of people who do not even know your field exists..that is your problem not theirs .
      I really only have a 'problem' with people who think they know what they are talking about but really don't.
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      • Profile picture of the author Odahh
        Originally Posted by Curtis2011 View Post


        I really only have a 'problem' with people who think they know what they are talking about but really don't.
        my first reaction was to think this was a jab at me ..but in reality it explains your post in one line ..

        of course if you are an expert in a field ..and people with much less knowledge spout of junk info they half remember from something they heard or read from someone else .. they will most likely come of as stupid ..

        because stupid is not so much lacking knowledge .. it is trying to appear like you have more knowledge than you have ..or taking actions that require a lot more knowledge to do well ..but seeing no need to seek more knowledge first .

        now If you have an expertise where most people have heads full of junk information ..i guess i can see why most people would seem stupid if the are involved in the perpetual spread of junk information
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        • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
          Originally Posted by Odahh View Post

          my first reaction was to think this was a jab at me ..but in reality it explains your post in one line ..

          of course if you are an expert in a field ..and people with much less knowledge spout of junk info they half remember from something they heard or read from someone else .. they will most likely come of as stupid ..

          because stupid is not so much lacking knowledge .. it is trying to appear like you have more knowledge than you have ..or taking actions that require a lot more knowledge to do well ..but seeing no need to seek more knowledge first .

          now If you have an expertise where most people have heads full of junk information ..i guess i can see why most people would seem stupid if the are involved in the perpetual spread of junk information
          It wasn't intended as a jab at all. Your explanation is basically what I meant by it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Justin Finkelstein
      I think Dennis hits the nail on the head.

      The Real Experts are always growing and learning and surrounding themselves with people who can touch.

      I am a big fan of the UFC and love the story on how one of the greatest MMA fighters in the World, George St. Pierre, sought coaching from the announcer on a specific technique. Below is a link the video -


      Whenever I get "too big for my britches", I reminded myself what true expertise and mastery is all about.

      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      Just because you know a few things others don't doesn't make you smarter or them dumber. There are many different kinds of intelligence. Acquired knowledge is only one of them, and it's often an inaccurate means of measuring intelligence.

      How you view others is only your perception of them, not their reality. It's colored strongly by your attitude and internal dialog.

      Many times those who feel superior ... aren't. They have low self-esteem and try to tear others down in order to build themselves up and feel better about themselves. It doesn't work, but they seldom come to realize that on their own. I'm not saying that's what you're doing, but offer it as an illustration to show things aren't always as they seem.

      Be careful about the attitude you have toward others. If people pick up on it you will soon find fewer and fewer people will want to be around you. Those who view others as inferior often find themselves with few, if any, real friends.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    i don't believe it is a given someone will develop this attitude ..there are people who do..you run into them in games ..but you also run into people who are just as good who will help you ..if you seem like someone who can be helped .

    if you are doing it to feel better than other ..ok

    if you are doing it from a personal desire to learn more ..

    i generally only viw people as idiot if they hate capatalism.. but have no trouble enjoying all of it's fruits ..and they just seem to want to prevent others from enjoying the fruits .
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    as a lifetime learner you live by the ethos."the more you know the more you know you do not know "

    now it is one thing if you are in a competitive field ..but if you judge the masses of people who do not even know your field exists..that is your problem not theirs .

    the issue is can you identify people who can benefit from your know how..and who it will benefit you to share with
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Murphy
    Very interesting and I've thought about this an awful lot lately.
    I wouldn't say I'd call them 'dumb" or "stupid"....just at a different level.

    One of my consulting clients owns a $30 Million per year business. Not huge but not tiny either.

    Everyday I slap my hand on my forehead over some of the things they say or do but....we forge on and create solutions.

    Like Curtis said, it's very dangerous to hold an ill view of, well, anybody! The $30 million dude started with nothing so he's not "dumb" per se.

    The newbie IM guy or gal holds enormous potential so I make sure to not call them dumb either.

    I find it really valuable to just ask "how can I serve this person?" ...and that's not woo woo bullshit either....I really mean it.

    If we approach everyone from a point of view of service, winning becomes a lot easier all around.
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    • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
      Originally Posted by Mike Murphy View Post

      I wouldn't say I'd call them 'dumb" or "stupid"....just at a different level.
      That's a good way to put it.

      But at the same time, an ant and a human are just a "different level" of evolved life. But they are so far apart that to a human, an ant seems very primitive.

      Originally Posted by Art of Marketing View Post

      Many Genius level experts wear the same clothes every day. To a Fashion Expert they would be labeled as losers and idiots I guess?

      Steve Jobs and 14 Other Male Icons Who Always Dress the Same | Mademan.com


      And What would the genius level people think of the fashion Experts opinion?
      Lol. Good point. Funnily enough, I'm actually just about to start cleaning out my closet and changing up my wardrobe to do something similar.
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      • Profile picture of the author Odahh
        Originally Posted by Art of Marketing View Post

        I am no genius nor fashion expert and I am guilty of buying several of the exact same shirt. But I am open to hiring a personal "stylist" as I climb up the tax brackets. :p

        Or is their an app for that? (fashion niche opportunity?)

        -Art
        the theory i have heard about why this works ..and i have to say it is a guy thing . is because the more routine you have in a day and the fewer small choices you have to make,, the more brain power you have to work on the big choices .

        At the same time your look does become part of your brand...and with high speed internet making face to face from pc to pc easier than a phone call..it may be prudent to have your look on all the time ..
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        • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
          Originally Posted by Odahh View Post

          the theory i have heard about why this works ..and i have to say it is a guy thing . is because the more routine you have in a day and the fewer small choices you have to make,, the more brain power you have to work on the big choices .
          Eben Pagan talked a lot about this idea in his program called Wake Up Productive.

          Basically what he taught was that each person only has a limited amount of "willpower" each day, which is basically our energy that we use when making decisions and also when driving ourselves to do something that is outside of our comfort zone.

          In order to preserve our willpower and maximize its use, it is important to turn all of the non-essential parts of your life into a "system" that requires no decisions and thus no willpower.

          So for instance, imagine the tiny amount of willpower that you use each day when deciding what to wear. It's not much, but if you add it up for 365 days for the next 50 years, you will actually be wasting a huge amount of your energy just deciding what to wear during your lifetime.

          So if you turn your clothing into a "system" where you always wear the same thing, then you have removed the necessity to decide what to wear, thus freeing up some more energy each day.

          If you take this idea further and turn the major parts of your life into systems that become established as your own personal habits (like eating a certain meal for breakfast every morning, or doing a certain exercise routine every day), then you will not only have the benefits of those things but also the benefit of more willpower to spend on difficult decisions such as going outside your comfort zone in various areas of life.
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  • Profile picture of the author LastingLifeSuccess
    If I had to narrow it down to what I was expert in it would have to be language.
    It's a riot. [and I have my times of screwing it up royaly as well]

    Imagine how much communication goes on every day in written, spoken, visual language. Man!

    And what a parade of opinions march by us daily. Whew! Each person's presentation has its own characteristic style, delivery. Yup! Pretty amazing stuff even though it seems mundane to most. And, no, I don't think others are idots for a misspelled word or wrong useage or syntax. To me that part of personal expression is the aroma of language. I love it and all the juice that comes with it. . . .

    LLS
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Ten
    That is a great point. It is extremely important to be humble and thoughtful in life!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Another effect of this is called "The Curse of Knowledge."

    We become familiar with the knowledge we have, and therefore we tend to assume everyone else knows it as well. It becomes difficult to understand the perspective of someone who doesn't know what we know. This creates problems in selling situations.

    This is why the "outsider" perspective can be a good thing. Someone new to the field doesn't have the Curse of Knowledge, and can see what we know in a new light. This is why it's difficult to write a resume or advertising copy for yourself. The important stuff doesn't stand out to ourselves like it does to others.
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  • Profile picture of the author Coup
    Originally Posted by Curtis2011 View Post

    In fact, it may eventually get so bad that anytime you talk to others about what you do, they are so clueless (and offer such ridiculous opinions of it to you) that you eventually just stop talking about what you do altogether, because only a tiny fraction of people will understand what you do.
    I wouldn't state it so bluntly, but I do agree that I have stopped trying to explain to others in real life what I do because they just don't get it. This actually makes me really sad because I am desperate to chat with friends/fam in real life about online business and to have them understand and celebrate successes with me. But when I try to explain they just truly don't grasp the years of flops and learning that has gone into where I am today. They kinda look at me with a blank look and say, "Oh, you have a website? Cool, I started a blog once too..."

    I agree with other posters as it doesn't have anything to do with smart/dumb. Rather, it's just that what we do is really specific and most people don't understand how IM works since they've not been exposed to it before. It's frustrating, but probably the same problem a mechanic has when showing me with pride what he has done to my vehicle's engine
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    • Profile picture of the author Odahh
      Originally Posted by Coup View Post

      I wouldn't state it so bluntly, but I do agree that I have stopped trying to explain to others in real life what I do because they just don't get it. This actually makes me really sad because I am desperate to chat with friends/fam in real life about online business and to have them understand and celebrate successes with me. But when I try to explain they just truly don't grasp the years of flops and learning that has gone into where I am today. They kinda look at me with a blank look and say, "Oh, you have a website? Cool, I started a blog once too..."

      I agree with other posters as it doesn't have anything to do with smart/dumb. Rather, it's just that what we do is really specific and most people don't understand how IM works since they've not been exposed to it before. It's frustrating, but probably the same problem a mechanic has when showing me with pride what he has done to my vehicle's engine
      what you stated here was much of what i was getting at in the future outlook thread ..

      when we are tuned into the plus side of what is going on .. and either have found are place or are looking ..it is hard to explain to others who do not grasp ..and even fear what is going on online ..and it gets annoying trying to explain it to them .

      it is even worse when you tell people this stuff and they think 1984..when you are like no 21 century ..

      10 percent of the books , movies,music and photos ever produced have been produced in the last 2-3 years ..in the last 4 years we have compiled 2-3 times more knowledge than in the last 40 thousand .

      but i guess the online world is where we are left to find people who will find out information interesting
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexchan338
    I really just learned alot from reading these posts in this thread. Thanks for all the insights.
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  • Profile picture of the author derricks4
    This is an interesting post... First, I consider myself very tolerant so it doesn't really annoy me that they're "less informed" than I am. In fact, I keep in mind that I was once that way years ago. Second, instead of feeling sorry for them or annoyed by them, I picture them as potential clients who could use some help from me. I'm more thankful that I am where I am than annoyed at the people who aren't there yet. I think the more successful you get, the more you feel that way.
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  • Profile picture of the author carnal
    Everything has pros and cons. Being an expert has its drawbacks, but it always feels good to be an expert.

    The key is to stay humble and not humiliate others.
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  • Profile picture of the author curly sue
    like Einstein said 'this thinking has caused me these problems..'
    Even great minds, Experts need a coach. Tiger Woods, president of the US, the pope all have life coaches.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Ning Lo
    Personally it does not bother me to know more than someone else.

    I like teaching and coaching. So being an expert in a field is good for me

    Cheers,

    Gary
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  • Profile picture of the author Igor Fridrihs
    I was a high end expert during my corporate life. Many people came to me for advice and I have never thought they were stupid, but they just knew less in my niche. So your attitude depends of your approach.
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