When I was young, we habitually deferred to authority figures of whatever kind. Be they government ministers, civil servants, police officers, teachers or parents, we invariably did what they told us to do because "they knew best" and "they were in charge". The idea of seriously rebelling against them, of routinely challenging their wisdom, was pretty unthinkable.
That all changed in the sixties when young people everywhere finally decided authority figures didn't necessarily know best and started questioning just about everything they said. They railed against the rigid ideas of "the establishment" and "the system" and demanded wholesale changes.
The authority figures didn't know what had hit them. They had to adjust rapidly as their ideas and assumptions were torn to bits by bolshy teenagers and uppity undergrads attacking homophobia, sexism, racism, apartheid and any number of other isms and entrenched beliefs.
The rebellious trend continued apace until now hardly any authority figure can open their mouth without someone shouting "bollocks" or doubting their expertise and credibility. They struggle to convince people they actually have something worthwhile to say.
The Brexit campaigners took this trend to its ultimate extreme, declaring that "experts" weren't to be trusted and that the opinion of the person in the street was as valid as so-called expert opinion. If Joanna Somebody thought Brexit would be a fantastic success, wasn't that good enough?
And then suddenly the coronavirus epidemic arrived, and all at once people were listening to the experts again - even the Prime Minister. Only the medical specialists knew all about the virus and what measures were needed to combat it. A dramatic about-turn by the know-it-all politicians and pundits.
After the epidemic is over, will experts once again be trusted? Only time will tell.
I don't know. I'm not an expert :-)
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Ms Scarlet: That doesn't matter, your opinion is just as good as theirs. I mean, Tim Berners-Lee, for instance, what does he know about anything?
ReplyDeleteI have always trusted experts and see no reason not to in the future also. What is happening just now is a global phenomenon but, there will be many more local ones where we will have to be guided by experts some of who have already started off bleating.
ReplyDeleteRamana: If we don't trust experts, who do we trust instead? TV presenters? Facebook gurus? The bloke next door? The mind boggles.
DeleteI guess it depends upon your definition of an 'expert.' I think we currently live in a time of information overload, where 'experts' contradict each other. It's hard to know who to trust or believe.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: But I guess it's normal for experts to disagree. They may have a similar knowledge and understanding of a subject but come to different conclusions. That doesn't mean they're not really experts, it just means that facts and evidence are always subject to interpretation.
DeleteI think you have to trust your own good sense.
ReplyDeleteand if you don't have good sense about anything...
well.
I guess you're doomed!
I was raised by a military man. you didn't question authority. you did as you were told. just as he did during the war etc.
but now we know those 'war' decisions were not always made by the best minds. "they were expendable."
we may never know. we only lived here for a short while. I don't really trust or believe anyone anymore. they all seem to have a book to sell.
Tammy: I guess the military is a good example of the continuation of discipline and authority and doing what you're told. The military would be pretty useless if every soldier challenged every order!
DeleteOddly, Dave and I had a very similar conversation this morning about the effects of 1960s counterculture. He's an old hippie, the 60s were his playground, and he seems to believe that everything that came out of it was good. I disagreed with him and said I thought it contributed to the social atomisation we suffer from today: the cult of the individual which, I'm convinced, directly affects how we view authority, and the breakdown of the social group. And because we conflate authority and expertise we feel perfectly free to ignore experts. While I agree authority should be questioned, especially given our current government, I really do believe experts should at least be heard. Where will it all end? Is it ending now?!
ReplyDeleteEryl: I agree with you, the sixties were both good and bad. As you say, the cult of the individual was very negative. Also the cult of sexual freedom, which in practice meant a lot of men forcing themselves on women and calling them uptight if they resisted.
DeleteI went into science because I respect facts. I like it when experts disagree as long as they show me the basis for their reasoning. If it's important to me I do my own research and make my own decision.
ReplyDeleteThat really came in handy when they did an MRI and a CT scan on Andy's brain (he was in the hospital because of a subdural hematoma) about two years ago and found a carotid artery dissection. The neurosurgeon wanted to treat it with a stent, the neurologist didn't think that was a good idea. In the meantime I had looked up stents and found the mortality rate was high for the procedure and told Andy not to do it until we did more research. Fortunately the surgeon couldn't do it right away, while Andy was in the hospital, so we did even more research and found a paper comparing watchful waiting with having the procedure done and watchful waiting won. Andy still wasn't sure, so I contacted the Mayo Clinic in Rochester with all the information and they said they they had nothing to add, that we were already doing the best treatment.
Again, we like facts and are grateful for the internet so we can do our own research.
Jean: Good for you, researching all the relative treatments as well as the option of no treatment. I guess a lot of people are talked into treatments that aren't necessarily effective because they haven't done that research.
DeleteThings have changed a lot since I was a kid in the 70's and not all of it for the better. I think I liked it better back then.
ReplyDeleteMary: Like the sixties, I think the seventies were both good and bad. There was still a lot of blatant homophobia and sexism that wasn't challenged as vigorously as it is now.
DeleteI guess I am old school because it still surprises me today when kids talk back to their parents. And parents let them do so. But, I do think families in which kids and parents can discuss issues and come to a mutual agreement are best.
ReplyDeleteLinda: I agree, kids and parents talking things through and accepting each other's views and decisions is how it should be. It wasn't healthy when kids were just expected to do as they were told.
DeleteIt's become apparent here that more folks are listening to the experts in their state governments than the expert(s) in Washington.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: Our regional governments (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) are basically just following Westminster's lead and bringing in similar restrictions. If there are virus experts in Northern Ireland, they're keeping very quiet.
DeleteHere in the U.S., it doesn't quite seem like all of the politicians are listening to the medical experts. Unfortunately. It also seems like quite a few people are not abiding by the stay home or shelter in place orders. I tend to be a rule follower, so I don't really understand not following the rules.
ReplyDeleteDanielle: Trump seems to live in a world of his own. He's convinced Americans can all go back to work next week, despite the soaring infection rates that are now higher than China's. People over here are very conspicuously staying at home or distancing themselves from others.
DeleteThe only experts are science based and I respect all politicians who listen to them in this time of crisis.
ReplyDeleteThe blathering narcissists mounting podiums, spewing lies and propaganda have no place in this new world for it is all meaningless.
XO
WWW
www: There are always people trying to gain some personal advantage out of a national crisis. Those who claim to have a foolproof way to ward off the virus are especially sickening.
DeleteArguing back can be good but it can be done reasonably. If everyone can keep their cool there's a chance of reaching a lasting agreement that is respected.
ReplyDeleteSmitoniusAndSonata: There's no substitute for open-minded discussion of a problem. Sulking or getting angry or bullying only make the problem worse.
DeleteWhen I was growing up in the 50's and 60's I believed everything the experts said. But then when I was fully grown up I decided that some of those experts weren't actually telling the truth, they just liked to be heard. Nowadays I like to read as much as I can and make my own mind up.
ReplyDeletePolly: Indeed, some people will invent anything just to get attention. Always best to look for confirmation of anything dubious.
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