Alluding to Alexis de Tocqueville's 'Democracy in America.' Americans have a tendency to discount the notions of expertise and mastery, instead trusting in the

Alluding to Alexis de Tocqueville's 'Democracy in America.' Americans have a tendency to discount the notions of expertise and mastery, instead trusting in the 'common person' to make sensible decisions, and for there to be special virtue in commonness. Often times this is hypocritical. Warren Buffet has a folksy demeanor, but his IQ is off the charts and he reads more than several hundred pages per day of challenging material and makes numerous critical decisions besides. But he knows that affecting a down-home-average-man persona is the way to sway Americans who distrust eggheads who show off their expertise. The negative effect of this in the workplace is that American pretenses to egalitarianism result in a lack of respect for skill, acumen, and intelligence. It's not quite the 'tall poppy' effect you might see in other countries, but it can have some similar effects.