The Quiet Signs Of Expertise

I met someone lately
who had very rough hands
and short fingernails.

I asked her
if she was a gardener.

She was surprised
I knew that.

Most dedicated gardeners
I know
have very rough hands
and short fingernails.
Those are signs
of dedication
to that role.

A food lover buddy
tells me
when he sees an immaculate home kitchen
with worn and/or stained
kitchen towels,
he knows someone in that home
loves to cook or bake.

There are often
quiet signs of expertise.

Know them.
Look for them.
Don’t be ashamed
if you sport them.

Evaluate Your Experts

We all have experts
we tend to trust
to give us accurate information.
We base our decisions
in business
and other aspects of life
on the things
they tell us.

At least once a year,
I evaluate these experts.
I look at their predictions
and I compare those predictions
to what actually happened.

There are health experts,
for example,
who predict
every COVID wave
will be the last one.

They’ve been wrong
again and again.

I no longer
rely on them
for information.

Evaluate your experts.
If they have always
been wrong,
assume they will be wrong
again.

Find better experts.