There really are no experts

Ask any physicist and he’ll tell you there is a whole lot of missing information when it comes to explaining the workings of the world. A blind spot. A gap in our information-gathering abilities. Equations are always incomplete.

Physically, we all have a blind spot in the structure of the eye. There is a blind spot blocking out visual informationin where nerve connectors and receptors come together to form the optic nerve. We literally are not getting the full picture. To compensate our brain fills in the empty space of information to try to make sense of what it sees.

Experts swoop in to fill the empty space in our knowledge of the world and ourselves.  Organizations pay them lots of money to provide the elusive information that will complete them and the lives of their employees.  But even their insights are incomplete. They are not the full picture nor the final answer.

So it might be best to move from the concept of expert. None of us truly is no matter the number of academic degrees. Maybe a curious instigator is who we need to listen to instead for explanations. Our own curiosity and being interested more than interesting are key components to building relationships and conversations around issues that matter most to people. Get enough curious instigators together and you’ve got the makings for a real breakthrough.

Here are some qualities of curious instigators.

• They are found everywhere because everyone can be one.
• They are relentless in pursuing new avenues of knowledge and looking at situations from different angles.
• They worry less about being interesting and focus more on being interested in the conversation at hand.
• They aren’t afraid to push up against the status quo.
• They’re playful in their approach to life
• They are wildly open to the opinions and ideas of others
• They never believe they have the final answer on anything
• They read what no one else is reading
• They do something, anything, to get started

What are some other qualities of curious instigators? What contributions do they bring to the table in the search for solutions?