4 ms·

There's also the fact that there's a lot less social pressure for young people not to look stupid. If you're the senior subject matter expert and get a question

There's also the fact that there's a lot less social pressure for young people not to look stupid. If you're the senior subject matter expert and get a question you can't answer, people still expect you to make an educated guess. The junior guy they expect to ask someone.

iamflimflam1 7mo ago
The sign of true subject matter expert is someone who has the confidence to say when they don’t know the answer.
- chris_money202 7mo ago
  Sounds more like the sign of just a humble, honest person
- bonoboTP 7mo ago
  Yes, but that better not be all the time, and around basic questions.
- jodrellblank 7mo ago
  input(“ask me any question”) print(“I don’t know”) behold, Plato’s PhD level expert on any topic.
  - iamflimflam1 7mo ago
    It’s missing the line for “if I don’t know the answer”
    - jodrellblank 7mo ago
      It always doesn't know the answer, there's no branching possible, so no need for a branch test. By your definition that makes it a "true subject matter expert" on every subject. Although if you squint a bit, it does look rather like a plucked chicken. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous_-_Diogenes_brings_a_plucked_chicken_to_Plato.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous_-_Diogenes...
xorcist 7mo ago
That does not match with my, very much anecdotal, experience. Real subject matter experts are generally very clear about where their expertise ends. Less experienced people, not so much.
zimpenfish 7mo ago
> There's also the fact that there's a lot less social pressure for young people not to look stupid. Also also they tend to be less financially "tethered" for want of a better word - mortgages, families, children, etc. - which makes it easier for them to be risky (consciously or not) about what/who/where they work on/with. Probably not likely to be jumping from your stable 9/5 to a startup when you've got your semi-detached with 4 kids.
cal_dent 7mo ago
And people wonder why society failed to embed the idea of being a blessing to say "I don't know" in llms.... That alone would save so much trouble. We, particularly bad workplaces, have a real fear of not knowing so much so that being confidently wrong is a better position in the whole game.

iamflimflam1 7mo ago

The sign of true subject matter expert is someone who has the confidence to say when they don’t know the answer.

chris_money202 7mo ago
Sounds more like the sign of just a humble, honest person
bonoboTP 7mo ago
Yes, but that better not be all the time, and around basic questions.
jodrellblank 7mo ago
input(“ask me any question”) print(“I don’t know”) behold, Plato’s PhD level expert on any topic.
- iamflimflam1 7mo ago
  It’s missing the line for “if I don’t know the answer”
  - jodrellblank 7mo ago
    It always doesn't know the answer, there's no branching possible, so no need for a branch test. By your definition that makes it a "true subject matter expert" on every subject. Although if you squint a bit, it does look rather like a plucked chicken. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous_-_Diogenes_brings_a_plucked_chicken_to_Plato.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous_-_Diogenes...

xorcist 7mo ago

That does not match with my, very much anecdotal, experience. Real subject matter experts are generally very clear about where their expertise ends. Less experienced people, not so much.

zimpenfish 7mo ago

> There's also the fact that there's a lot less social pressure for young people not to look stupid. Also also they tend to be less financially "tethered" for want of a better word - mortgages, families, children, etc. - which makes it easier for them to be risky (consciously or not) about what/who/where they work on/with. Probably not likely to be jumping from your stable 9/5 to a startup when you've got your semi-detached with 4 kids.

cal_dent 7mo ago

And people wonder why society failed to embed the idea of being a blessing to say "I don't know" in llms.... That alone would save so much trouble. We, particularly bad workplaces, have a real fear of not knowing so much so that being confidently wrong is a better position in the whole game.