There’s a natural tendency among the general populace to question authority. The emergence of social media and internet forums, in particular, has provided a platform for misinformation and conspiracies to thrive. But make no mistake: from politics to science, the growing inclination of inexperienced onlookers to question, demean and even vilify field experts is a concerning trend that threatens our collective safety and wellbeing.
To be sure, no expert is infallible. Unquestioning belief of authority figures, in any capacity, incentivizes stagnancy and inaction among those authority figures. At the same time, we must acknowledge our own inexperience. There is a reason we depend on professionals with years of training and extensive expertise to provide public guidance in their specific fields, in government and commercial capacities.
When it comes to public health, the need for widespread trust in authority figures isn’t just a matter of personal preference; it’s a civic responsibility. As covid-19 fades into a distant yet acute memory for many Americans, the lessons learned from the pandemic should provide guidance for a future one, should it arise. Collective crises require collective action. The entire point of mask guidelines and vaccine requirements is that everybody should follow them, to protect each other and for efficiency’s sake. Noncompliance — motivated by internet trolls and illogical conspiracy theories — with this expert guidance needlessly cost lives, even among those who went out of their way to trust the science.
We don’t need to wait for the next crisis that requires a collective response. For example, the overwhelming consensus among climate scientists and experts is that we need widespread action now to prevent irreversible and calamitous disruptions to human livelihood. We shouldn’t ignore their expertise. Climate change isn’t a controversial or theoretical possibility — it exists whether you acknowledge it or not. Inaction is very much a choice, one that will have profound global and generational ramifications should we continue to ignore science. We must recognize and respect the experts who provide informed guidance on navigating the complex challenges defining our shared future.
