The problem lies with us: we've become addicted to experts. We've become addicted to their certainty, their assuredness, their definitiveness, and in the process, we have ceded our responsibility, substituting our intellect and our intelligence for their supposed words of wisdom.
Interpretation
The quote warns against over-reliance on experts, urging individuals to maintain their own intellectual responsibility.
In this quote, Noreena Hertz critiques modern society's dependency on experts, suggesting that people have surrendered their own judgment and critical thinking in favor of the certainty and authority offered by those considered knowledgeable. This addiction to experts can lead to a loss of personal responsibility and intellectual independence, emphasizing the need for individuals to engage with information critically instead of simply deferring to others’ expertise.
In practice
In a debate about the role of science in society, one could quote this to emphasize the importance of independent thinking.
We live increasingly in a world of haves and have-nots, of gated communities next to ghettos, of extreme poverty and unbelievable riches. Some enjoy rights that are completely denied to others. Relative inequalities are exploding, and the world's poorest, despite all the advances of globalisation, may even be getting poorer.
The term 'glass ceiling' was coined in 1984. More than 20 years later, the ceiling has barely cracked. There isn't a single country in the world that has as many female as male politicians. In business, the situation is even worse. Its highest echelon - the board - remains a chauvinist's dream.
I learned to focus my energy on high-quality, long-term projects rather than lower-quality projects with quicker payoffs.
One of the blessings of maturity is that it sometimes brings one greater courage to be truthful, regardless of what those who do not understand may think or say
There's nothing you can do that's more important than being fulfilled. You become a sign, you become a signal, transparent to transcendence; in this way, you will find, live, and become a realization of your own personal myth.
Your self-worth is determined by you. You don't have to depend on someone to tell you who you are.
Your own pain is involuntary; you feel overwhelmed and have no control. When feeling the pain of others, there is an element of discomfort, but there also is a level of stability because you are voluntarily accepting pain. It gives you a sense of confidence.
The one advantage of playing with fire...is_x000D_ _x000D_ that no one ever gets singed. It is the people who don't know how to play with it who get burned up.
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