This all came from, and was originally related to, the political situation in the US. Here we have a whole bunch of academic intellectuals who have head knowledge and are cridited with brilliance by their academic peers. They have very little, if any, real-world experience. Our chief executive has never been the chief executive of anything before. As commander-in-chief, he has no military experience. His experience extends to academia and community activism, both firmly rooted in the far left (in this country). He has appointed people like himself to office, and nominated such to the Supreme Court (especially the most recent appointee). They believe their brilliance will overcome any obstacle, and thinking about something is equal to actual experience with it. These are the kind people that brough you centrally-planned economies.
Brilliant people tend to think any problem can be solved with enough thought. Experienced people tend to think that there are situations no amount of thinking will yield a workable solution - too many uncontrolled variables. No plan survives contact with the enemy (reality). I agree that really brilliant people would realize this. But then they would fall back on what works (experience) rather than what their brilliance or idealism tells them should work.
I'd prefer the sadder-but-wiser experienced person over the brilliant-but-inexperienced person every time. I'd really prefer the brilliant-and-experienced person, but those don't seem to end up in government here. And those that do are usually corrupted by the system, or are predisposed to corruption.
Tiberius Decimus Maximus 说:
Oh hey, it's Macethump! Haven't seen him for forever.
I'm back, for a while (real life interference). Or at least until I tire of baiting liberals.
It is strange that "truth" is invoked here, since it seems many "brilliant" people believe there is no absolute truth.
The "brilliance vs. experience" dichotomy is not one I necessarily subscribe to, but it has been forced upon us in the US by our current political situation. In some cases, the brilliant are forward-looking idealists, not all a bad thing. In some cases, the experienced have become cynical and jaded and hopeless. Some of the brilliant become arrogant and unaffected by reality, insisting on their way because they know better than you. Some of the experienced want change, but measured change to minimize variables and get the maximum experience value out of each change. Both need a willingness to accept failure and learn from it.
"The only thing we ever learn from is failure. Success only confirms our superstitions."
- Kenneth Boulding