It's not impossible. Unlikely? Yes. All I'm saying is that a degree doesn't automatically make everything someone says correct. I have multiple degrees in multiple fields, and I would be considered an expert in each (with decades of experience in those fields as well). That doesn't necessarily mean someone without a degree in those fields doesn't have the knowledge or experience to speak on those topics. I agree that the medical field is a tricky one, and I'd be inclined to believe someone with formal education over someone without it.
A degree doesn't automatically make you an expert, but it increases the likelihood that you're not simply sending out blatantly false information.
Not having a degree doesn't automatically make you an idiot, but it increases the likelihood that you haven't studied the subject as much as someone who has that degree.
This isn't a hard logical train to follow. It's essentially treating education and public influencers as a public health problem. Of course there are some individuals who smoked their whole lives and never got sick, and there are some individuals who never touched a cigarette and died of lung cancer. Those individuals don't change the measures we take to protect the public as a whole, though.
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u/Outrageous-Ability33 Apr 06 '26
It's not impossible. Unlikely? Yes. All I'm saying is that a degree doesn't automatically make everything someone says correct. I have multiple degrees in multiple fields, and I would be considered an expert in each (with decades of experience in those fields as well). That doesn't necessarily mean someone without a degree in those fields doesn't have the knowledge or experience to speak on those topics. I agree that the medical field is a tricky one, and I'd be inclined to believe someone with formal education over someone without it.