Week 15 Response -- How can we avoid giving too much power to experts?

Image Source

This entry is in response to the question, "How can we avoid giving too much power to experts?" posed by @llyran-noble.

Admittedly, I have fallen victim to immediately believing anything a so called "expert" tells me. Dr. Roger Koppl's lecture was a great lesson about taking action when we are given information towards ensuring what we are told has actual validity, despite who the speaker is. From everything Dr. Koppl mentioned, I believe no matter the topic, an expert's audience must remain alert and cautious of the expert's human nature, since we all make mistakes at one point or another. It is so crucial we all seek evidence for what he/she is claiming while we build upon our own opinion as well. Our society has a very bad habit of assuming if we are not labeled an "expert," then our knowledge is considered useless and we must seek those with the "expert" label to decide what we see as the truth. Breaking this habit and keeping an open mind to hearing from "non-experts" will cause a dramatic shift in falling for the bias of expert power Dr. Koppl warns us of. This intentional mindset will make a great difference in preventing the danger of expert power taking control of what we believe and stand for in our own lives. It is very scary to think of the amount of times I have not questioned the information presented to me and I hope to take this mindset with me in every my every day life from now on. I am very grateful for being exposed to Dr. Koppl's lecture and will personally take his advice with me for a very long time.

Source