What Is an Expert?

There are many definitions of an expert. Webster’s dictionary defines an expert as having or displaying special skills or knowledge. Many skills fit that definition. For example, Evil Knievel was an expert at jumping over obstacles with his motorcycle. You could also say that the following are experts too: a world championship Black Jack card player, an XGames Gold Medalist snowboarder, a World Alpine Gold Medalist Slalom skier, and, lastly, a world championship-winning sumo wrestler. But some less glorious experts deal with simple things in their life. For example, the seamstress who is an expert at adding stitches to a dress, a carpenter who always hits the nail on the head when he designs custom cabinets for his clients, an archery coach who instructs youth in the art of shooting a bullseye from 50 meters. All of these people are considered to be experts.

Becoming a Pro of Common Things

It seems that everyone has an idea of what an expert should be these days. If you look in the newspapers, listen to the news, and follow the hottest topics online, you will no doubt be held captive by advertisements from real pros who advertise their expert skills. But there is a debate at websites like Guru, Fiver, Upwork, and others that there is more to becoming an expert than meets the eye. Experts must be able to pass tests, answer difficult questions, and do things like no one else has done before. In short, we have entered the world of the everyday pro who, after spending hours or even years working with a tool or an object, has become a pro. 

Becoming an Inside Gardening Expert

For a gardener, it is a must for them to be able to wield a hoe or shovel, know how to apply certain kinds of chemicals to kill bugs, but save the vegetable plant. The same person with a “green thumb” would want to become an expert in what kind of plant they would place in an indoor container to produce fruit the following year. They instinctively know that an indoor plant knows it needs more rich soil than their outdoor plants require and must have their roots protected from the cold in the winter.

Getting To a Real Expert

The same kind of qualifications to become an expert could also be required of a bonsai tree grower, a butterfly collector, a bird watcher, and a “rainmaker.” Becoming an everyday pro is often handed down from generation to generation like the Hyena men of Nigeria who tame hyenas, baboons, and snakes to dance and perform tricks as a way of nomad living. They visit different towns throughout Nigeria where they sell their herbs and perform their ceremonial dances. In the case of such dangerous actions, a person doesn’t have to worry about identifying the real experts from the false because the wild animals would fatally wound the wrong expert.

Breadth and Depth of Recognition

Though the world does not hail them as experts, there are local heroes and experts to those who depend upon their skills. Just as the African Pygmie tribe depends upon their witch doctor to concoct a potion to heal a dying boy, an expert is someone who often has to rise to the occasion to make a difference in someone’s life and is successful in their willingness to share with others the talents they have accumulated in working with the simple things in their life. Don’t we call a secretary of a busy office an expert in organization, dictation, and keeping the office in good order. The experts in the above examples are all called experts because, in many ways, they are experts in what they do and love doing. They are people who have developed a deep proficiency in something that has been placed at the service of others, and they gain universal respect in society. Wherever we go, we will always find everyday experts in society that are important in the local or broader community for daily operation. Their knowledge can be passed down to others who will continue the journey.
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