We often operate in an authoritative mindset on topics that we have no business speaking on with such confidence.
A prime example? Self-appointed sports commentators.
I have read a regrettable number of tweets and Instagram comments that shared strong, and often uninformed opinions on sports organizations, players, coaches, etc.
These comments are usually fiery, often insulting, and spewed from thrones of self-declared credibility.
Most of these “analysts” have not spoken to anyone in the organization, yet somehow they know everything the GM is thinking. They haven’t interviewed players or studied their film, yet they know all there is to know about what’s wrong with a player’s mechanics. If a user like @joemama69 thinks that “player xyz” sucks and his career is over, then I guess someone better tell “xyz” to retire, right?
This, in my opinion, is a silly and low-importance problem. However, it points to a much broader concept: The Bravado of Passion.
The Bravado of Passion is the false confidence that is built on the foundation of strong feelings.
(Full disclosure: I just coined this term and I’m not even entirely sure it makes sense, but I like the way it sounds, so it’s staying)
Strong feelings do not give us the right to be an authority on a topic. Strong feelings may motivate us to become an authority on a topic, but they are not what qualifies us.
So then, what makes a person an authority on a subject?
I will explore that in a later post 😁.
John Ciannello 