From the 4th Edition of Webster's New World College Dictionary: n, a person who is very skillful or highly trained and informed in some special field. Did you notice that definition left out credentialed. So, I suppose if you did a thing for [blank] amount of time you will be expert at it.
OK, let's see how that works. I've been riding my Knucklehead for 7 years. I'm an expert at riding that particular bike, right? Don't have a piece of paper stating I'm expert at Knuckleheads, just a driver's license. Worked as an electrician for 15 years which makes me an expert at electricity, right? My wife and I have been married for 34 years. We are both experts at keeping marriages together, right? Do you feel like something is missing here?
You betya. No one can know all there is to know about a thing. Each of us can be a so-called expert on different aspects of the same subject. If you wanted to know how to ride my particular type of bike then you would want to know all that I know. But don't count on my expertise to help you ride a rice burner correctly. I worked as an industrial electrician. Wouldn't be much help in wiring your house. My lovely bride and myself managed to keep our bonds together but we wouldn't have a clue as to how to tell someone else to keep theirs. Expert? No such thing.
All I'm getting at is be leery of "experts". Especially if there is some kind of political agenda going on. My experts can beat your experts any day of the week and twice on Sundays! I would never tell you I'm an expert and that there is only one way to do a thing. If I did that it wouldn't take long before someone stepped all over my toes. And I'm not into pain, believe me.
Now, if I can only find an expert to tell me what all this means!
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