It is more important to use your own judgment than to follow the advice of experts.
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When I cogitate over the the question of whether an individual should rely on his ability to judge rather than seek and follow the suggestions of other adept people, I reach the conclusion that it is indeed more important and useful to be self-reliant in making decisions and judgements.
First and foremost, we all need to grow as individuals and become versatile with a sense of owning responsibility, and in life we all encounter situations repeatedly where our decision-making ablities are tested. Hence it is plain and obvious that the more capable a person is in decision-making, the more effectively he can deal with challenging situations in life and make progress on personal as well as professional front. For example, a person who can manage his personal finances well without seeking any advice from a professional finance advisor can have better grip on controlling and channelling his expenses as per his priorities while living a prosperous life.
Secondly, it ought to be remembered that advice does not come without cost for anything, especially when it sought from professionals, and then there is the question of availability of the same as well. For example, when a Chief Technology Officer in a company decides on usage of technology for a particular project, or the purchase of a particular software as anti-virus after giving the due-diligence from his side, he saves his company a lot of Money and time as he spares the time and energy of his equally competent and knowledgeable colleagues who can channel their efforts in solving other demanding problems.
Then again, when we make decisions ourselves after doing the preliminary analysis and with proper information, troubleshooting becomes easier. A case in point may be quoted as the scenario in which a Chief operating Officer hires the services of a consulting firm for cost cutting and implements the same relying totally on the wisdom of the experts in that firm. In case the results are not achieved in the expected manner because of inept recommendations of the consulting firm, it is generally difficult for the COO to pinpoint the exact cause of problems on his own, and re-hiring the firm or seeking services of another firm may exacerbate the situation further. On the other hand, if the decisions were made by people of same company, it is easier to keep a tab on progress of plan and ensure thorough implementation.
Furthermore, an important factor to take into account in seeking counsel is the motive of experts who is extending the suggestion, which should be above reproach, and needs to be aligned with their clients, which unfortunately may not be the case always. One example of this is the not so infrequent occurrence of incidences where unscrupulous finance firms fleece their gullible clients by extending shoddy advice, while filling in their own coffers.
It may be argued though that a single individual may lack expertise in many things, in mundane as well as specialized ones. So we are left with no choice but to seek the expertise of adept individuals in specialized fields as law, medicine etc. Also, it may be asserted that sometimes experiments can prove to be dangerous, where the person involved is not familiar with the process and the outcome, e.g., self-medication can lead to fatal consequences and fiddling around with the Do-It-yourself equipment at home can result in severe injuries.
However, the situations in which such measures are required are perhaps those of exigencies and not very frequent. Additionally, summoning the services of an expert is an act of making a decision itself, an act of judgement that must take into factor the nature and intensity of the problem as well as the skill levels and the track record of performance of the expert. Additionally, there is a lot of information avaiable on media, internet etc. which an individual can glean and subsequently use to reduce the dependency on other's skills and wisdom. In the very least, assidous before-hand research and analysis can reduce the overhead associated with the external consulting and can even lead to better decisions and control.
In summary, while it is true that occasionally the services of an expert is required, the advantages of reliance on self for making decisions definitely make it a far more pragmatic and politic option. Also, even in cases where external guidance is critical or indispensable, the conscious efforts of an individual should be aimed towards gaining proficiency in his sphere of activities and thus utilize such instances as learning experience and minimize the dependencies.
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When I cogitate over the the question of whether an individual should rely on his ability to judge rather than seek and follow the suggestions of other adept people, I reach the conclusion that it is indeed more important and useful to be self-reliant in making decisions and judgements.
First and foremost, we all need to grow as individuals and become versatile with a sense of owning responsibility, and in life we all encounter situations repeatedly where our decision-making ablities are tested. Hence it is plain and obvious that the more capable a person is in decision-making, the more effectively he can deal with challenging situations in life and make progress on personal as well as professional front. For example, a person who can manage his personal finances well without seeking any advice from a professional finance advisor can have better grip on controlling and channelling his expenses as per his priorities while living a prosperous life.
Secondly, it ought to be remembered that advice does not come without cost for anything, especially when it sought from professionals, and then there is the question of availability of the same as well. For example, when a Chief Technology Officer in a company decides on usage of technology for a particular project, or the purchase of a particular software as anti-virus after giving the due-diligence from his side, he saves his company a lot of Money and time as he spares the time and energy of his equally competent and knowledgeable colleagues who can channel their efforts in solving other demanding problems.
Then again, when we make decisions ourselves after doing the preliminary analysis and with proper information, troubleshooting becomes easier. A case in point may be quoted as the scenario in which a Chief operating Officer hires the services of a consulting firm for cost cutting and implements the same relying totally on the wisdom of the experts in that firm. In case the results are not achieved in the expected manner because of inept recommendations of the consulting firm, it is generally difficult for the COO to pinpoint the exact cause of problems on his own, and re-hiring the firm or seeking services of another firm may exacerbate the situation further. On the other hand, if the decisions were made by people of same company, it is easier to keep a tab on progress of plan and ensure thorough implementation.
Furthermore, an important factor to take into account in seeking counsel is the motive of experts who is extending the suggestion, which should be above reproach, and needs to be aligned with their clients, which unfortunately may not be the case always. One example of this is the not so infrequent occurrence of incidences where unscrupulous finance firms fleece their gullible clients by extending shoddy advice, while filling in their own coffers.
It may be argued though that a single individual may lack expertise in many things, in mundane as well as specialized ones. So we are left with no choice but to seek the expertise of adept individuals in specialized fields as law, medicine etc. Also, it may be asserted that sometimes experiments can prove to be dangerous, where the person involved is not familiar with the process and the outcome, e.g., self-medication can lead to fatal consequences and fiddling around with the Do-It-yourself equipment at home can result in severe injuries.
However, the situations in which such measures are required are perhaps those of exigencies and not very frequent. Additionally, summoning the services of an expert is an act of making a decision itself, an act of judgement that must take into factor the nature and intensity of the problem as well as the skill levels and the track record of performance of the expert. Additionally, there is a lot of information avaiable on media, internet etc. which an individual can glean and subsequently use to reduce the dependency on other's skills and wisdom. In the very least, assidous before-hand research and analysis can reduce the overhead associated with the external consulting and can even lead to better decisions and control.
In summary, while it is true that occasionally the services of an expert is required, the advantages of reliance on self for making decisions definitely make it a far more pragmatic and politic option. Also, even in cases where external guidance is critical or indispensable, the conscious efforts of an individual should be aimed towards gaining proficiency in his sphere of activities and thus utilize such instances as learning experience and minimize the dependencies.
