"I don't know"

DominicJ · Post by **DominicJ** » 24 Mar 2009, 14:18

Who is going to tell you that surgery isn't your only option? A local cab driver? Or another "expert" who, after checking out the xrays and perhaps biopsy results in as inexperienced and non expert a fashion as possible, recommends alternatives?

A radiologist?
The Surgeon will want to cut, the Radiologist will want to irradiate and the Medic(lacking a better term for medical doctor) will want to do chemotherapy.

Or is it common practice in the UK to just pray randomly/ burn incense / consult an astrologist for health in the hopes of healing tumors, various viral infections, setting compound fractures, or whatever other odds and ends pop up in the average humans lifespan?

Pretty much, considering you can go to hospital with a broken leg and leave in a box after catching a lethal disease thats immune to anti biotics. You might get lucky and the 16 year old receptionist who left school two weeks ago who treats you remembers to wash her hands, but you might not.

The problem with "experts" is even if they are experts in their field, they arent experts in many others.
So we have "expert" police officers presiding over an annual increase of 15% in violent street crime for 10 years, whilst ensuring music isnt played too loud by pubs.
Or "expert" defence experts who've built us (The UK) a fleet with the exact same weaknesses the prior/current fleet had/has and that almost lost a war for us.
Or "expert" educatators who every year churn out 1m students, 40% of whom are functionaly illiterate
Or "expert" economists who rammed our economy into a brick wall then off a cliff, all the while screaming CPI was fine and dandy, it was, but that was utterly irrelevent.

If I needed brain surgery, I would certainly ask the surgeon to perform it, but allowing a brain surgeon to make the IF decision is madness.

Thats why I'm a libertarian localist.
The experts who say, I dont know, thats your decision.

Mean Mr Mustard · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard** » 24 Mar 2009, 15:27

DominicJ wrote: Or "expert" educatators functionaly illiterate

See your point. If only you'd had an educator rather than an illiterate educatator, they'd have taught you that 'functionally' has two Ls in it.

DominicJ · Post by **DominicJ** » 24 Mar 2009, 15:30

No one pays me for words, just numbers

Ludwig · Post by **Ludwig** » 24 Mar 2009, 15:39

DominicJ wrote:No one pays me for words, just numbers

You're not an economist, are you?

RGR · Post by **RGR** » 24 Mar 2009, 18:07

[quote="Bandidoz"]

RGR · Post by **RGR** » 24 Mar 2009, 18:11

[quote="DominicJ"]

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 24 Mar 2009, 18:42

RGR wrote:
Bandidoz wrote:A medical consultant who has a broader scope of knowledge and experience, rather than a specialist who has a highly refined narrow scope of skill.

Let me see if I understand...you consult a DIFFERENT expert to see whether or not the situation requires ANOTHER expert?

At what point is the futility of consulting all these experts realized?

*sigh* Numbnutz. Mmmmmmmmm Beeeeeeeeeeeeer.............

DominicJ · Post by **DominicJ** » 25 Mar 2009, 09:08

I just wanted to know if its futile to pay attention to experts, why would you use a brain surgeon for anything at all?

I didnt say futile, simply limited, if you understand the limits of an expert, they're great, if you dont, they arent.

Blue Peter · Post by **Blue Peter** » 25 Mar 2009, 09:17

DominicJ wrote:
Or is it common practice in the UK to just pray randomly/ burn incense / consult an astrologist for health in the hopes of healing tumors, various viral infections, setting compound fractures, or whatever other odds and ends pop up in the average humans lifespan?
Pretty much, considering you can go to hospital with a broken leg and leave in a box after catching a lethal disease thats immune to anti biotics. You might get lucky and the 16 year old receptionist who left school two weeks ago who treats you remembers to wash her hands, but you might not.

Hmmmm! Doesn't someone who claims to be an American have too much detailed knowledge of the workings of the NHS?

Peter.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » 25 Mar 2009, 09:37

DominicJ wrote:
I just wanted to know if its futile to pay attention to experts, why would you use a brain surgeon for anything at all?
I didnt say futile, simply limited, if you understand the limits of an expert, they're great, if you dont, they arent.

Of course if you don't understand the limitations of the experts, then you can always hire the services of a Consultant in order to find out.

dudley · Post by **dudley** » 25 Mar 2009, 13:53

The book I was thinking of by Jonah Lehrer is called The Decisive Moment. How We Decide and The Decisive Moment might be different names for the same book.