Expert-ism Daf

Initiation rites hazing, certifying or establishing you as expert, into guild, profession	Brotherhood vs. priesthood, belonging vs. sacred, kavod vs. ‘the kavod’	Participants: Irene Diamond,Matthew Mausner, Meir Simcha & Dvora Pantzur, Betzalel Edwards, Rachel Leah, Sarah Weil, Avigail, Adiella Jones, Gershon Gottlieb, Shira Rachel (Ami/ Yoni music)	Metaphor signifies the understanding is beyond the means/ framework. Making, defining truth, terms	Think for Yourself!!
Should psychologists determine who’s sane or not? According to whom? 1984 e.g. Psychology, the new priesthood (Zerzan), decides legal boundaries of reality, sanity behavior, power	Knowledge vs. Wisdom Black fire vs. White fire society doesn’t value the white/ space/ less defined Not relying on previous knowledge, constant re-evaluation. Answers always change: Sword at entrance to Garden of Eden always moving. Chochma, Bina, Daat: Creativity/ creation?	Do the ‘experts’ in each field of human endeavor know what they’re talking about? Does expertise deserve the respect, money, attention, power that societies give it?	Committee corporate breeds conservatism & mediocrity. Advisors not responsible or accountable: other people’s money	Are “parents”–mothers and/or fathers, qualified and deserving of authority/power over children? Is a ‘parent’ a natural expert? What’s best for kids, SW, judge decides? In divorce/ orphan
Who determines and has power over the way we define and understand human bodies and souls? Masculine vs. feminine values. Ratzo v’Shov Acting vs. processing. Predictions vs. Blessings. Talmud many opinions- one truth. Levels	Academic specialization: people study longer to know more and more about less and less. Reputation. Narrow fields don’t talk to each other; is publishing, tenure, grants, etc. proof of merit? Test scores vs. social measures & cooperation. Where are moral distinctions or purpose? Is there a void?	What criteria determines whether ‘experts’ have valid expertise? In which fields is expertise objective, quantifiable, meritocracy, verifiable? External vs. self-defined expertise. Black Swan Taleb: closed systems, misapplied Gaussian & other models, confirmation error, Data regression, arrogance- worship of experts. Herd mentality. Is real problem professionalization of expertise? Scale, bigness causes…	Brain surgery requires the best trained neurosurgeon: nobody else can do it: Not everyone can know everything: Or is best doctor bedside manner? Acupuncture effective even if not understood. Being needed as reason to be expert? In which fields is expertise needed?	Society should take care of all its members? So merit is defined by the good you give to others/ community?Deserving if chesed & for others and achieves its purpose then yes.
Identify w/ career In a place where there’s ‘no man’- be ‘the man’ -prkA Moshe sees no man, kills the Egyptian, takes responsibility	Financial ‘experts’ didn’t understand, predict, plan for, or protect all of us from the subprime and derivatives crashes. Nobels; quant. over qual.; platonic/ ideal forms over reality chaos	Fear of risk: we depend on experts to minimize or insure against, esp. complex, higher stakes situations. Too busy to think for ourselves, adopt view of majority, ‘common sense’, convntional wisdom, we abdicate responsibility for life.	Professional power relations, hierarchy of perceived, accredited expertise: scarcity. Salary, pay =? status which professions are respected/ paid/more? job satisfaction? if->	happy at job dependent on psych. outlook? selfish / selfless motivations for work, career, achievement, attention
Each person (Tselem Elokim) has their unique gift ‘expertise’? Anarchist ideal no experts: ALL are empowered. Society Against the State. Each society only allows certain (limited) types of expertise. E/W, ‘civilized’ division of labor vs. H/G	Kabbalists warn against mistaking the map for territory, forms for reality Materialist/ rational/ quantifiable expertise or is merit more subtle/ alternative/ holistic? ‘true cost’ how to determine? ‘Objective’ vs. Verifiable Double-blind scientific method and its limits. Statistics- numbers- irony lowest mundane means proves ‘higher reality’	Being in ‘Flow’ state Csikszentmihalyi music, athletes, 10,000 hours of practice = ‘genius’ ‘talent’. Does that account for intention? ‘Calling’? ‘Obsession’? workaholic? Innovation vs. Repeatability True chidush can destroy a field, dangerous, New is always from the unknown. Einstein. Tzaddik = expert at life? God guides when you’re in unknown place if you’re ready, above your sechel. We receive laws at liminal moments, Phase changes, thresholds, of indiv. & coll. identity crisis. Thomas Kuhn- science progress. Revolution. Ideas in air, free speech, tipping points, zeitgeist.	Bat .300 makes you a star who fails 70% of time. We’re here to fail & make mistakes-> Tikun fixing, taking responsibility, risk, blame (buck stops). Personally meaningful goals, go beyond your limits. Experts out of their fields- Freeman Dyson, Richard Feynman, Bertrand Russell etc.	Is expertise or success defined by others’ ignorance or failure? Bernie Siegel Gennup,Victor Turner (Arizal) Dr. Pierre Grimes.