Running my mouth.

Sarcasm.

I am smart enough to know I am not an expert at anything. Think I should try staying at Holiday Inn.
I knew a fellow once that had an answer to any question you could ask.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
You can pay me using the new currency of the realm: toilet paper.

Whoa there Rockefeller, no one has that kind of money around here.

I seem to do ok putting food in my belly, successfully for many decades. Don't know about being an expert at it yet. Think I'll keep trying though.

Lately?

Hollering at the talking heads on the television.

And making sure my wine glass is full at dinner time.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
I’m an expert at turning ammo into noise

Pfft. Amateur... I can turn ammo into noise AND smoke.

I'm also partially fluent in Bendablese.

Beware the self-proclaimed expert at anything. The more you learn about something, the more you realize you don't know.

One of my engineering professor colleagues is fond of saying, "When you get your bachelor's degree, you think you know everything. When you get your master's degree, you realize you don't know anything. When you get your PhD, you still don't know anything, but you realize nobody else does either."

Looking at expertise in relative terms (i.e. compared to the average body of knowledge), I am an expert in geotechnical engineering and geology. I am professionally licensed in both fields and teach both at a college level.

Expert at nothing. I was at one time a certified master mechanic, I can diagnose the shit out a carbureted , non ABS vehicle using my senses. Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Was also a diesel mechanic for a number of years.

Now a days it's light duty commercial vehicle sales and finance/ leasing of them.

I do have this ability to remember useless facts and feel it's my duty to inform folks when the subject arises.

The Echidna has a four headed pecker

Jumping to conclusions

Not a lot. I figure that I will be learning up until the day I leave this earth. The day I have it figured out will probably be that last day on earth.
So, I try things and learn as best I can, see what sticks.
I do some other things well enough that people pay me to do them.

Give me a couple of minutes, I’m waiting for someone to come along to tell me exactly what I’m supposed to be an expert at.

I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.

quote:

Originally posted by NewRiverGeorge:
Jumping to conclusions

I saw and know how that game was developed.

As I hobble reluctantly into geezerhood, I cannot help but note that in my life the majority of people I have encountered who possessed amazing amounts of knowledge never self-identified as an “expert”.

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
It would appear that many are going on the idea that an expert knows EVERYTHING about a particular subject.

Tell me class...does anyone know what we call someone who knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING?

I will ask my wife......

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:

Tell me class...does anyone know what we call someone who knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING?

That would be a maven.

---

Bonus question: What does a maven do for a living?

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
It would appear that many are going on the idea that an expert knows EVERYTHING about a particular subject.

Tell me class...does anyone know what we call someone who knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING?

A bullshitter

Like so many things, it depends on how we define the word.

Long ago when I became an Army criminal investigator I was surprised to learn that under the UCMJ an “expert” for court martial testimony purposes was defined as someone who knew more than the average person about a particular subject. That is of course a very low standard, but based on it, I’m an expert on many subjects, with guns and shooting probably being the thing I’m most expert at these days.

It's the same way in civilian courts, sigfreund.

I've testified as an "expert" on several subjects, although I'm far from some world-renowned award-winning subject matter expert with multiple PhDs in that field... I just know more than the average bear.

For some it is paid position. Attorneys frequently call upon expert witnesses to testify in court. There are physicians that do this sort of thing for a living. Other fields qualify as well. I once met a gentleman who was an expert witness on parking lot security. Interesting guy.