Friday, December 28, 2012

The Humble Expert


The novice may only see one or two things that can go wrong with a project. The expert may see dozens. Often, the more we know about a topic, the more humble we are. We bear scars from instances where we were surprised. The big talkers are usually inexperienced.

This doesn't mean that we can't make predictions based on our having seen similar cases. It means that we have a greater appreciation for the unpredictable and that our boldness is accompanied by caution.

"Why don't you just do this or that?" is a question that experts have considered. If they have not taken the obvious route, most likely there is a reason.

As an old military saying goes, the shortest path is usually mined.

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