- Listen to the expert in their field. When Carmen the cardiac surgeon tells me I need to get more aerobic exercise, I pay attention. She knows more about my heart than I do.
- Don't listen to the expert outside of their field. My cardiac surgeon doesn't know any more about designing computers than anybody else off the street.
- Choose the more educated expert. If the cardiac nurse tells me to run 3 miles a week, I'll do 3. If the surgeon says to run 5, then I'll do 5.
- Choose the more specialized expert. My family doctor has good advice on keeping my heart healthy, but not as good as the cardiac surgeon's advice.
- Go with the majority of experts. If 9 out of 10 dentists say I should use a fluoride toothpaste, I'll do it. I'm not going to pay attention to the 1 crackpot dentist who says to use crystals to heal my teeth. But if the experts are more evenly split, like 60/40, then it's time to be suspicous. Maybe neither group has it right.
- Ignore the expert liar. Ignore any liar, if they're an expert or not. Somebody who said something wrong once isn't a liar; they're human. A liar makes a habit of lying.
- Don't trust infallible experts. A person who never admits mistakes isn't an expert; they're a fraud.
I want to keep this doc short and sweet, but I'd love suggestions on making it better.