Go to any online forum, it doesn’t even have to be gun related, and read up on any topic that appears to have one or more popular camps. Two opposing camps would be best. Once you’ve done that, go ahead and register and post a new thread taking either side. Which side doesn’t really matter. Go on, I’ll wait.
Once the thread has germinated for a bit and you’ve gotten past the “use the search newb” replies, how long do you think it will take before some internut pipes up with “so-and-so SME has an opinion opposite to yours, so you are obviously an idiot and I am obviously a rocket surgeon because I happen to agree with said SME”? and how long after that before their rival pipes up with “oh yeah? well so-and-so SME #2 says the original poster was right, and I agree with both of them, so clearly you are a complete idiot!” and on from there until some moderator has had enough and locks the thread (but not before getting their own $0.02 in, typically joined by some snarky attempt at sarcasm).
Why do we do this?
I’m sure someone will retort with “because we rely on the the SMEs with more/better experience than our own to guide us”. From the Widipedia link above:
In general, the term is used when developing materials (a book, an examination, a manual, etc.) about a topic, and expertise on the topic is needed by the personnel developing the material.
One could make the argument that we could substitute “opinions” for “materials” when internalizing or doing research for our own personal use. But that’s not really what happens and we all know it. What happens instead is something like this:
- Buy item
- Someone points out potential shortcomings of said item
- Look for someone, anyone, respected that likes my item
- Point out #3 to whoever pointed out #2
- Ignore everything else that respected person (SME?) says about anything we don’t agree with
So, then, how do we arrive at what we do and don’t do that any given SME does or says? If SME#1 likes Aimpoints, 1911s, and Eagle load bearing equipment, but SME#2 likes Eotechs, Glocks, and First Spear, and an individual likes Aimpoints, Glocks, and Blue Force gear, how to they rationalize all of that in their heads? How can one simply pick and choose where to follow blindly along and where not to? How can they quote SME#1 in a thread about pistols and SME#2 in a thread about optics? If the SME du jour is infallible, why don’t you do everything they do?
Obviously, some people DO. There are threads all over the place about what boots, beard, watches, etc. any given SME is using in some picture in some magazine somewhere. This, of course, is why companies are so hot to send freebies of one thing or another to said SME in the hopes that someone somewhere will see it in a picture and mistakenly assume that the SME actually likes it (or bought it with their own money), and rushes out to buy one of their own. In fact, hey hope this happens over, and over, and over again. At least enough to offset the free one they sent out.
If two, equally respected, SMEs disagree on a thing, how can they both be right? and if one is wrong, how can we trust anything else that they say? Even if we say it’s not a matter of right or wrong but a matter of opinion, how do you pick and choose which opinions you agree with an which you don’t? The only logical answer is that it’s happenstance, and if that’s the case then why do you keep going around quoting them?
And here’s the real kicker... what if they are both wrong? Or at least wrong for you and your situation? if two SMEs say that the XYZ is the best ABC for combat, but you’re a 3-gun shooter, or benchrest shooter, or plinker, or simply a guy defending his home, how applicable is that opinion to your own situation? Should you maybe do your best to get some training and trigger time with the XYZ, and maybe several other examples and types of ABC, in your application so that you can make up your own damn mind? And if you haven’t, might-ant you ought keep your trap shut about which one is “best”? Chances are pretty damn good that you have zero method by which to quantify your claim of “best”, so why not just keep that to yourself? Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but that doesn’t mean you should subject everyone else to it, or that all opinions are equal (apologies to mommies and kindergarten teachers everywhere).
Where we ought to be using the opinions of SMEs is to understand WHY. It’s not enough to simply know that SME#1 likes the Eotech and SME#2 likes the Aimpoint. Those facts, in and of themselves, are useless. You need to understand WHY they like what they like, and for what application. Without that, their opinions are about as useless as yours. What you should be doing is understanding their frame of reference, and their criteria for their opinion, and their level of experience with other makes and models of similar items, and figuring out how all of that applies to YOU and your situation. Much like the Chart and the Explanation of Features. The whole point of the E of F is to let people understand WHY the criteria listed is important and WHY the military specification calls for what it does so that you can figure out how those criteria apply to you and your situation.
This extends to actual shooting concepts as well. What an SME does, or did, in combat may or may not be applicable to your situation. We hear all the time “well this is how the *teams* do it”. What team? My team friggin’ sucks, it’s my scrawny ass and a 20 lbs. dog. I want to re-pick teams! It should be quite obvious that in many cases what a “team” does has little applicability to what you are doing on your own, or with a suburban family. Some of what some *individuatls* on the teams do may be applicable, but charging down a hallway because you know you’re not only covered in body armor but that you also have 4 similarly protected and armed buddies with you may not quite carryover to the homeowner in his boxer shorts with a wife and kid cowering in the tub 10 yards behind them and behind a locked door.
Similar to the survivor of the single gunfight. I once met a guy in a class that had survived a gunfight because the badguy’s bullet hit his watch on the way to his head. Said guy shot so bad that the instructor asked him “what kind of choke do you have in that thing?” after observing his groups at 25 yards with the carbine. That doesn’t mean:
A) that I want to take a class from that guy
or
B) that I want to buy the same brand of watch because obviously it is not only what gunfighters wear but is also bullet-proof.
Let me say that I have been guilty of ALL of the above. I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to dig up a post or two of mine engaging in all of this foolishness. But it doesn’t mean it’s right.
Engage your brain.
Make up your own mind.
Don’t simply use opinions and quotes from others because you lack the ability to back your own opinion with fact or even rational argument.
Strive to become your own SME about yourself, your situation, your needs, and what works for you.
Good call, we've all been there. Internet SME's make it really hard for beginners to find accurate information. This is why I once thought a $500 Strider was the only knife worth carrying when a $100 Benchmade does the same thing (cut stuff).
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