An interesting article by Richard Morrison, in The Times, highlighting, what my co-writer David describes as, ‘the death of deference’ to expert opinion and questioning the prevailing faith in the Wisdom of Crowds.
He clearly exaggerates for effect when claiming that ‘the internet has been the prime driving force, spreading the pathetic illusion that all knowledge (and therefore all wisdom) is accessible to everybody” and criticising a culture in which “everyone’s opinion, on every subject, is equally valid – whether that opinion is well informed or crassly ignorant.” That said, I share some of his frustration when I see the BBC and other broadcasters stopping members of the public in the street to ask them to comment on complex political and economic issues, such as the banking bailout. Providing an opinion on John Sergeant’s dancing is one thing, but being asked to rival Robert Peston for economic punditry is empowerment gone mad.
This also isn’t what James Surowiecki had in mind when he wrote ‘The Wisdom of Crowds.’ It was his contention that ”a large group of diverse individuals will come up with better and more robust forecasts and make more intelligent decisions than the most skilled decision maker.” The key word in this quote is ‘diverse’. Surowiecki does not advocate the rule of the mob, but instead believes in the collective power of groups of independently-minded people, each of who can offer different types of experience and capabilities. It is the diversity in their levels of individual knowledge that makes the crowd work.
In our book we describe the sense of foreboding felt by many a GP when they “see yet another patient advancing across the surgery with a fistful of print-outs from a variety of very up to date websites and patient forums.” As far as patients are concerned, doctors no longer have a monopoly on wisdom. By and large this is a good thing … informed patients are more likely to understand what the doctor is telling them and are probably more willing to follow the treatment that is recommended … they just want to be treated as partners in any discussions about their health rather than the passive recipients of medical wisdom.
There is still room for experts in modern life, but they need to recognise that the world has changed. Respect, deference, loyalty and allegiance are no longer awarded purely on the basis of formal titles, roles, academic qualifications or social status. Authority has to be earned and earned again. The smartest experts understand this, as do the smartest CEOs.