Every day is and can be Dussehra day- when good wins over evil. The day internalisation and acceptance of our mask of being an expert is realised. A day when we can agree that there is no need for us to be experts on everything under the sun. So, this Dussehra, I ask you to kill the newest Ravan in the town- the desire to be the expert on everything. Burn the Fake Expert inside.
A post by dear friend Ramki on Twitter (currently known as X) the thought of FAKE-EXPERTS triggered the article. The post read, “Did you know that it is not mandatory to be an expert on every issue in the world from Article 370 to Zionism. It’s even less mandatory that you share freely of your expertise.”
People are Hyperactive on Social media platforms and intensely desire to be seen as an expert. They participate and contribute by posting polarised points of view across groups and forums. There are heated exchanges many times, leading to walkouts and boycotts. It crushes Brand-i, and more inputs are thrown to control the damage.
Before we proceed further, let me unconditionally accept I am not an expert and definitely not on the subject I am writing about. This article is for people who want to be seen as an expert with minimalistic efforts. Fake Experts are everywhere, trying to act and influence like an expert should. The single action command for them should be – Don’t even attempt it.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE AN EXPERT ON EVERY SUBJECT.
We are humans and have our boundaries of accessibility, availability, affordability, adaptability, and absorbability of information. There is so much time and no more. You cannot experience everything first-hand, you can’t do everything, you can’t read everything, and you cannot have a basic knowledge of everything. Forget being an expert.
Just get this straight. You cannot be an expert on Climate Control and the Ukraine-Russia conflict on one day, Cricket and the Israel-HAMAS conflict on another day, and talk about what makes bananas too costly on e-commerce on the third day. If you are such a kind, then you know what is a fake expert.
No, you can also not be a jack of all fields. Forget about being an expert in all or many subjects.
Know the boundaries. The physical limits of efforts and time. Understand what you know and, more importantly, know what you don’t know. Learning more and more will soon help you realise that you know nothing.
It is Okay. No one will blame you if you don’t know something, even if it is part of your personal or professional life, even if you are expected to know it. However, it may be essential to be an expert in some subject that is equally relevant, critical and important for others. Then, the opinions and statements get the due importance. It is best if these expert opinions have solid self-experience. However, experiencing something is not a necessary condition for being an expert on the subject.
RULES OF EXPERTISE.
Experts have a depth and width of experience and understanding of the subject. More than
the titles of the chapters, they know and understand the chapters. They know the details and nitty-gritty of the subject and can pinpoint what is critical. Trust me, a lifetime is less to read everything on any topic, and I am not even talking of deep understanding.
An expert knows it better, is of sound mind and think before you speak. Creating your personal brand and building the desired perceptions is time-consuming.
However, simple acts of ignorance ( or fake expertise) can destroy it. The more you expose yourself by posting, sharing, and commenting, the higher the chances for people to realise how shallow your fake expertise is. So tread with caution.
WHY PEOPLE TRY TO ACT LIKE EXPERT?
What Makes Them a Fake Expert?
Expertise is a symbol of superiority. If you keep justifying your expertise, the knowledge spreads thin, and the shallowness becomes apparent. However, despite knowing it, many try to be seen as experts for multiple reasons.
- Self-Validation.
It gives a sense of self-validation and recognition as knowledgeable from peers and a social media audience. It boosts self-esteem and confidence, leading to overestimating ability and remaining practically unaware of lack of expertise (Dunning Kruger Effect) - Desire For Influence.
The charm of being heard and making an impact. Fake experts live under a misunderstanding that their posts, blogs, comments, reviews and rejoinders shape opinions. - Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO).
Fake experts engage in discussion to be part of the conversation and give vent to their suppressed point-of-view. - Lack Of Consequences.
Social media provides anonymity of scale. Fake experts use this derived overconfidence to behave in ways they wouldn’t dare to do in a face-to-face interaction. They know there are no immediate consequences for pretending to be an expert. - Social Comparison.
Comparing to others is a known human trait. Fake experts see other experts and tend to imitate them to appear equally knowledgeable. - Low Entry Barriers.
Anyone can share opinions and ideas on social media, regardless of their knowledge and expertise. It is highly accessible and affordable with no restrictions.
NETNET.
Social media is not just full of Fake Experts. There are some genuine experts. Social media inputs and information must be evaluated with weightage to the credibility and expertise of the source. Knowing the above reasons for fake experts can help navigate social media more effectively and discern between genuine knowledge and baseless claims.
If you are one of the experts, re-evaluate your position. Re-evaluate your desire and knowledge. Kill the desire to be perceived as an expert on everything under the sun. Choose your subject and dive deep into infinite information and knowledge. Let there be an expert worth following. And just BURN the FAKE EXPERT within. Do the Antim Sanskar– so that it does not raise its head again.
Remember- it is Okay not to know.
It is always better to hear and read everyone’s input but act independently.
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POST SCRIPT.
Dunning-Kruger Effect. A person’s lack of knowledge and skills in a specific area causes them to overestimate their competence. By contrast, it also makes people who excel in a given subject think the task is simple for everyone and underestimate their relative abilities.
TYPES OF FAKE EXPERTS.
Fake experts deploy multiple strategies in their attempt to be seen as an expert. Check them out. It’s okay if they sound like the categorisation could even apply to WhatsApp users. ( trying to categorise these Fake Expert shows, I am still under the influence of ‘Office-Secrets’ by Harish Bhat.)
Aggregator Unbiased Forwarder (AUF)
AUF never claims to be an expert. Their life revolves around forwarding gems from social media and sites. They realise no one can read all the content he shares. He further knows that frequent sharing can help him become a perceived expert.
The deadlier variety of AUF forward information from unreliable sources and present it as their expertise. They rarely deeply understand the subject but rely on regurgitating information found online.
Aggregator Unbiased Curator (AUC).
Like AUF, AUC crawls the internet to get the latest and sharpest information and forwards after filtering it internally. The person gives credit to the source and loves sharing and forwarding contradictory information to add fire to the debate discussion within the group.
Aggregator Biased Curator (ABC).
ABC has a strong point of view. They only forward information that makes their case stronger. They believe by this overload of skewed information, and they can make you think their way. And, if you keep interacting, social media platforms will serve you information of a similar nature, making their task easy.
Some ABCs are biased toward Conspiracy theories, presenting weird (at times plausible) explanations of significant events. They cherry-pick information to support their claims. They are known to selectively quote experts without considering the context.
Reiterater – The Spider On The Wall.
The deadliest variety of fake-experts. They interact less but engage well. While reposting, they rephrase to sound like an expert. ‘In my overall assessment’, ‘In my considered opinion’ and ‘If you allow me to suggest’ are some of their favourite words.
My Way Only.
Sharper type of Aggregator Biased Curators (ABC). They have unidimensional strong points of view. They genuinely read a lot and know a lot. However, they are corrupted by a strong belief in their own beliefs.
They will take sides and want people to take sides and their side, to be specific. The ‘My Way Only’ type of fake experts seek and believe information confirming their existing beliefs and present it confidently. They are firm in their thinking and, at times, violent in their action.
No One Cares For My Opinion.
A lame expert who won’t say much is slow off the ground. Their opinions are hijacked in conversations. They hesitate and hence are not heard much. However, they continuously complain about no one wanting to listen to their opinion.
Opinion Hijackers.
They have brilliant timing and a remarkable ability to rephrase other’s opinions to make it sound like something new. They add flavour to the discussion while presenting the hijacked ideas of others. ………………………………………
