Dr. Malcolm Butler provided valuable insight about the role of “Professional unexceptionalism” and the role of professionals in the Information Age after his 18-month experience serving as the Chief Medical Officer for the Chelan-Douglas Public Health District. While the insight was gleaned from his experience as a public health officer during the COVID pandemic, his observations apply to any professional giving professional advice. 

The most difficult and alarming part of Dr. Butler’s experience was that a significant part of our community felt entirely at ease criticizing his professional expertise and opinion.

Dr. Butler explained that professionals have “unconscious competence”. Through their academic study and their professional practice they have integrated their knowledge into muscle memory, such that professionals oftentimes cannot explain why know something. This is particularly true when dealing with one who is not a peer, does not want to learn, and does not have a common understanding of the fundamentals governing the field.  No lay person the can acquire information, knowledge and judgment a professional has accrued. A lay person cannot critically review or present the information they download. They don’t know or appreciate what they don’t know. 

These concepts were applied to our present world in a couple of easily understood and familiar instances: a professional engineer or a public health physician is approached by a member of the public who has done their research on a topic on the internet and have opinions or studies provided by a charismatic You-Tuber. The promoter is not interested in learning about the topic, does not have the fundamental knowing about the topic, is belligerent, and the debate is in a Town Hall format. 

Dr. Butler is chagrined that in Information Age, it is ok for people to believe that all opinions should be considered equally – that a professional’s opinion should be considered along with a lay person with no foundational education and experience. 

After unsuccessfully running headlong into the wall of believers that the earth is flat, Dr. Butler posits that it is important to recognize, talk and shine the light on the fact that professional opinions are, in fact, exceptional. It is unhealthy for society to pretend that a non-professional’s opinion carries any weight.  

Dr. Butler says that Professionals must be ready to teach when one is intellectually curious and wants to be taught. However, a professional is under no obligation to defend their expert opinions, except with other experts. When faced with belligerence, especially in a Town Hall forum, the best response is: “you came to me for my professional opinion: here it is, take it or leave it.” This is not intellectual snobbery – it is the best response.

Allan Galbraith,   662-5642 – 421-1923,   allan@hillatty.com