Experts and Elites Play Fundamentally Different Games

a year ago

Experts are judged by their technical knowledge and precision, focusing on being right within their field.
Elites are evaluated on broader qualities like charisma, social connections, and cultural fluency, often without deep technical expertise.
Elite institutions screen for roundedness and social impressiveness rather than narrow expertise.
Elites often override expert opinions, especially on morally or emotionally charged issues, shaping narratives to fit their consensus.
Promotions in organizations often reward eliteness—social fluency and political instincts—over pure technical expertise.
During the Covid pandemic, elite consensus quickly overruled initial expert skepticism on measures like lockdowns and masks.
Attractiveness influences career prospects differently for experts vs. elites; e.g., attractive social scientists earn more, while unattractive natural scientists do.
Elites hide their ambition behind a facade of selflessness, while experts can be openly ambitious.
Populist movements often reflect elite factional battles rather than genuine grassroots revolts.
Nobel Prize winners often struggle to transition from expert to elite roles despite their credentials.

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