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87 In any field of inquiry, the beginner is more likely than the expert to make important discoveries.
I do not agree with the speaker. It is true that sometimes a beginner may make important discoveries, especially in areas where there have recently been significant developments. This, however, does not indicate that the beginner is always more likely than the expert to make great discoveries. Other factors may also be important.
There is no denying that beginners in a field of inquiry may achieve a lot if they are enthusiastic about what they do and if they are highly motivated to do what they do. Not refined by what is right and what is wrong or what may be done and what may not be done in their areas, they can think outside the box and bring about breakthroughs. This is especially true in areas that have developed quickly at a period of time. Beginners, less suspicious about the new developments and their potential benefits, are more likely to embrace and utilize the developments and thus more likely to achieve and promote further developments in their areas of inquiry. Moreover, beginners, unlike experts in a field, do not have their fame at stake when they try something new. As a result, they are less conservative and are freer to take risks, possibly with a view to making a name for themselves. Then, when they get lucky, they make important discoveries.
All this being said, we should not underestimate the importance of experience, which experts have accumulated through their years' work and efforts. The experts are aware what contributions others have made and what contributions are expected in their areas. They are better oriented. The accumulated experience also allows the experts to develop a kind of intuition that informs them where they are most likely to achieve if they carry out research there. With the guidance of their experience and intuition, experts are likely to work more effectively and more fruitfully than their inexperienced co-workers. Furthermore, if they are open-minded and ready to accept new concepts and new ideas, just as the beginning researchers are, they stand to achieve even more.
As a matter of fact, whether a researcher is likely or not to make important discoveries may depend less on whether he / she is a beginner or an expert than on whether he / she is willing to work hard and at the same time willing to take risks, among other factors. Thomas Jefferson claimed that he believed in luck and that, the harder he worked, the luckier he got. By this he emphasized the importance of hard work. It is hard to imagine anyone who does not work hard but makes great discoveries. Besides working hard, researchers should be ready to take risks. In this rapidly developing world, we cannot be sure about everything that we do. If we make efforts only after we are one hundred percent sure, we will achieve nothing. By contrast, willingness to take risks will significantly increase our chances of achieving.
To sum up, beginners and experts each have their own advantages when it comes to making important discoveries. Sometimes, factors such as hard work and willingness to take risks may play an even greater part in the success or failure of a researcher. |
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