Experts Are Cursed With Attainment

Nothing To Prove Has Its Merits

Suzuki raises a limitation of expertise: experts think they know things. And they do. But that can be a problem when that acknowledgement of knowledge becomes a kind of arrogance that limits their openness to learn new things and, crucially, challenge their own beliefs.

This is something I am learning, and I’d like to think my character has grown and changed, at least a little bit, towards acknowledging the limitations of my own expertise. And I’m finding that, in positioning myself as a learner in more situations, I feel more free. I suspect that’s because I am losing an attachment—a compulsion, a fear—to a self who is always afraid that he’s stupid and has no common sense. It is okay if I’m stupid about some things. It is okay if I’m a bit scattered and not as attentive to everyday, practical concerns. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to get better. But I can also accept myself as I am now.