Uncommon Knowledge Is More Important Than 'Common Sense'.
It might sounds contrary to 'common sense', but uncommon knowledge - earned through in-depth engagement with information for the long term - is more important than common sense.
Our brains are not well adjusted to the new information age, we carry around a range of biases and processing challenges that don't respond well to high emotion/low context information.
Understanding how to engage with knowledge, facts and common sense is a skill that needs more attention, moving away from memes and outrage - to long term engagement with information, and taking the time to identify poor quality information sources.
Rage is a poor substitute for exposition. Fear is a poor driver of rationality. Volume is a poor substitute for expertise. One rogue 'expert' is a poor substitute for a general consensus among a chorus of experts. Ask yourself if you believe it easier to confound the science and understandings of entire industries, or to find a handful of people looking for attention/commercial gain who will go against the grain because it suits a current news cycle. Pay attention to those who are proven right more often than not, to those who change their positions based on improved knowledge rather rolling public popularity. If you believe yourself to have any expertise, in any space - you should be looking for ways to maintain your elevated understanding in your field, while embracing the elevated understanding of others in theirs.
Every day I work towards a world with equality of opportunity. This involves complexity, sophistication and working across multiple inputs/industries/communities/outcomes and starting points. Without expertise, without access to expertise and real, in depth knowledge, work like this is impossible. Experts can make mistakes, the benefit of real knowledge work is that the knowledge is accountable in the long term and will develop and improve with those mistakes. Chefs looking for attention, are able to say what they want, whenever they want, and confound people with volumes of incorrect information or misinformation, while taking advantage of peoples vulnerabilities and anxieties in an effort to remain visible and make money. We can do better.
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