When one expert's opinion is different from another expert's opinion, then who i

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   graceinusposted 10 years ago

   When one expert's opinion is different from another expert's opinion, then who is the EXPERT?
   
   Most people expect an expert to be correct in his or her field. So why do many experts within the same field of study disagree? So does this mean many "experts" are wrong? And if so, which one?

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   M. T. Dremerposted 10 years ago

   Unfortunately, it depends on where the money is coming from. When experts in the same field disagree (publicly) there is a good chance it's because someone is paying them to come to a specific conclusion.

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      M.T.- I think your comment holds true in courts of law when both sides have "experts" on the same subject. Then it boils down to which one is right. Thanks for your answer.

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   Aniket Lawandposted 10 years ago

   Basically they are Experts because eight on ten or nine on ten they have succeeded with their opinion. The best part is that all Experts are experimenting based on their experience hence not one Expert can be concluded to be an Expert. It is just that their experiments so far are successful.
   As far as opinions are concerned, they are mere statements documenting their experiences with Experiments.
   Last but not the least change rules the world (Nothing is constant) hence what he opines yesterday will be different tomorrow.
   We as non Experts have to live with this reality.

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Aniket Lawand- Thanks for your answer.

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   manatita44posted 10 years ago

   Hi again Bro.
   
   I am a nurse. Yesterday I was chatting to two patients, one of which was telling me about different skills she had. So I also told her about my six siblings and their skills and the fact that I had none. The gentleman in the next bed reminded me that I am a nurse and a very caring one, and that I should be grateful for this skill.
   
   This reminded me of Religion. In the same way we like to see our children as doctors and lawyers and musicians, etc. God works with variety and loves it. So in a flower garden the lily, rose and hydrangeas have different fragrances, but they all complement the beauty of the garden. The violin is happy to play with the flute and piano in an orchestra, even though they are all different.
   
   There is a very beautiful story about a King who commanded that everything should be the same: salary, work, etc. Within three months everything was chaos and he realised the folly of his ways.
   
   Experts disagree because they are at different levels of Consciousness, different levels of Grace, if you like. Moreover, God wants it this way. This whole creation works because of diversity and creativity. It adds beauty and stimulation, believe it or not. The child cries and wets its nappies and we don't. But wetting nappies are essential to the child's growth and development.
   
   Now more about experts. I will tell you about a mango for 100 years: its taste, succulence, flavour and colour, etc. But all this is theoretical knowledge. Unless you have tasted it yourself, then you really do not know the mango. That's why the thief who saw the Saint in contemplation thought that he was another thief; the drunkard thought he was another drunkard, but another Saint walking by, recognising the other's state, sat at his feet until he regained consciousness.
   
   There are so many diverse opinions here even among people of the same Faith talking about God. I have personally sat in prayer and meditation every day for the last 32 years solidly, and some before. I also practice the celebate life. The essence of what I am saying here is not to show of, but to demonstrate that practice and experience is necessary. Without this, it is all mental and scholarly knowledge. Nothing can be imparted without Grace. This has been my experience.
   
   Nice question and have a great day my friend.

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Manatita44- We all have different level of understanding and abilities, but we assume that experts are the best in their fields. Yet there are different opinions amoung the "experts". Is the term "expert" over rated? Thanks for your answer.

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      manatita44posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Expertise is based on experience. Additionally, some people are blessed with an inner Light. Wisdom is an inner quality, scholarly attributes are not necessariliy so. Sometimes over rated, yes. The Christ knew far more than the scholars of his day.

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   Amanda Howdeshellposted 10 years ago

   I think that's why they call them expert 'opinions'. It's to suggest that while the person has more knowledge on the topic than most, they are not an indisputable source of information.
   
   That being said, experts tend to rely on specific data to make their assertions. When you have two experts with conflicting opinions, you can look at what data they use to support their conclusions and decide for yourself whether or not they are making sound arguments.
   
   I remember reading a study awhile ago about how pesticides were found in an organic tea supplier's products. If you read the study, they have very convincing data. However, when you look beyond the data, you see that the company who funded the study is actually the tea supplier's main competition. When you look further, you realize that the pesticides found were trace amounts that could be attributed to nothing more than contaminated ground water.
   
   So, it's not unreasonable to believe that an expert might use a study, such as the one above, to support their assertions, without ever realizing that the study is not truly a reliable source of information.
   
   This is also why the majority of court cases settle outside of court. When you put expert vs. expert, the jury gets to decide which expert is the real expert... and that's awfully risky.

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Amanad- Thanks for your answer, You make some interesting points.

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   Ericdierkerposted 10 years ago

   Two experts most often disagree because of a certain bias they have. But we are talking about matters like causation and hypothesis here. We must remember that engineers and scientists work on consensus to come up with common facts or laws of science. They do not vote and they do not all conclude the same.
   A mathematicians will have a different view on climate change than will a zoologist. A Jewish archaeologist may have a different view than a Hindi archaeologist. "Why" is a great expert equalizer.

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Eric, point taken.
      P.S. Good to see you again.

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   junksellerposted 10 years ago

   Experts are experts because they have knowledge and experience pertaining to a complex subject, but it is a mistake to consider their positions to be right or wrong. It is neither, it is simply the best assessment they can provide based upon the information available to them. Most situations which involve an expert are situations which are not completely understood (global climate), extremely complex (medicine), dynamic (global geopolitics), or are dependent on particular goals (macroeconomics), which means that even actual experts can often disagree and it is a mistake to expect them to be correct in any absolute sense.
   
   Of course sometimes experts aren't experts at all and are just pretending. There are, for example, an enormous number of hacks being paid by fossil fuel companies to attack global warming and climate change. We all have a duty to evaluate the experts in which we place our faith and unfortunately many of us simply do not do that. The existence of FOX News is a perfect example of such a large scale failure.

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      junkseller - If we are sometime placed in a position to evaluate an experts opinion, then my only question is; What does that make us? But I do understand your point. Many thanks for a great answer.

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   PlanksandNailsposted 10 years ago

   Facts can be proven, but opinions cannot. If somebody can show someone why it is true, it is a fact. Opinions cannot show somebody why something is true.
   
   An expert opinion is often used to persuade someone to believe their opinion are "fact"  based on their experiences and education.
   
   A fact is truth, but opinions could be either true, or false.
   
   Getting an expert opinion does not guarantee that it is true.

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      celafoeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      amen--  agreed.  an ex  spurt is a has been squirt of water and any expert that does not have the facts to explain his "opinion" is not a really an expert.     As in Christianity, many claim the name but do not measure up.

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      PandN- Many who seek expert opinion"assume" they will  obtain the correct answer or opinion for what ever they seek. Which is why many rely on "experts". What good are so called experts if their opinion proves to be false. Many thanks PandN

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   Zelkiiroposted 10 years ago

   Being an expert doesn't mean you become an infallible god; it just means you've been in a field long enough to have knowledge and expertise relating to it, far above the Average Joe. An expert musician doesn't always write great music (see: Yngwie Malmsteen).

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      graceinusposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Zelkiiro- Thank you very much for your answer.

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