So, as I thought about what to write today, a memory flashed through my mind that really only a handful of people “in the know” as it were would even have the chance of appreciating. For efficiency purposes, I’ll just talk about it here and in classic FS manner, will not be mentioning any particular names, it’s the takeaway that’s the most important anyways, regardless of who we’re talking about.

Recently, the team and I were doing a lecture of sorts, with one of our associated specialists talking about one subject in particular, somewhat tangential to magic. In the crowd were a few “known magic names” people we’d all probably recognize and listen to, but probably not very well known outside of the magic community. They always come across as knowledgeable, and they’re all the type of people who would have the ability to “hold court” at any sort of gathering of magi-folk. You get the point. Gravitas, knowledge, etc. Anyways, in this particular subject area that our specialist was talking about, one of these “known names” decided to speak up and command the floor. If our specialist friend was a magician, and this more “well-known” name decided to speak up, we might bow to the known name, and think to ourselves how we were just illuminated by their grand wisdom…

HOWEVER, this area was not in magic, everyone was a bit confused as to why this person stood up and started speaking their mind given that this lecture wasn’t about them at all, and only the magicians in the crowd witnessed this insight into this particular persons mentality. They’ve been so used to being the crown of the court, that they just have to chime in on things that they may not even have an expertise in. In other words, they’re just used to being the person that people listen to, regardless of expertise. Here’s why that’s a problem: they sound like they have an expertise in everything, which is physically impossible. (Further review into the statements they made only proved this. They simply didn’t know everything they claimed to know.)

Do they have skills in certain areas? Yes, certainly. Do they have as many skills in as many areas as they claim to? No. It doesn’t matter who this person is, but the fact that I KNOW so many of you reading this would know their name is the point here: you need to practice discretion when you learn from people, especially people who are recognized. Question everyone. When the people you think demonstrate that “social proof” of being labelled an expert somewhere, and your own knowledge and experience start to weigh the same on the scale, you’ll know you’re getting somewhere. Independent from what someone tells you regarding their experience, develop your own basis of knowledge, do your own research.

— J.R.