--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Experts don't know exactly where the…" description: "\"Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.\" — Daniel Kahneman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/daniel-kahneman-431_boundaries_experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-bou_62328.jpg" --- # Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their… ![“Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.” quote by Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/daniel-kahneman-431_boundaries_experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-bou_62328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/daniel-kahneman-431_boundaries_experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-bou_62328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/daniel-kahneman-431_boundaries_experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-bou_62328.jpg) > “Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.” [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizes that expertise has limits and that true experts often cannot precisely delineate the scope of their knowledge. **In simple terms:** Expertise is bounded and uncertain. Key Takeaway Beware overconfidence in one's own domain. Themes humility epistemic limits self-awareness expertise Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice observation When to use this quote - making strategic decisions - consulting clients - educational curriculum design Key Concepts cognitive bias metacognition Practical Applications - risk assessment - leadership training Questions to Reflect On - How can you identify the edge of your competence? - What mechanisms help you stay aware of unknowns? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) [Expert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expert/) [Expertise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expertise/) [Experts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experts/) ## Related quotes > [“You know why the experts don't have an easy answer? Because a fucking expert's the guy who knows how complicated the fucking questions are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/you-know-why-the-experts-don-t-have-an-easy-answer-because-a-fucking/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“Experts don't apply rules, make decisions or solve problems. They do what comes naturally, and it almost always works. When they fail it often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-trotter/experts-don-t-apply-rules-make-decisions-or-solve-problems-they-do/) Robert J. Trotter > [The tendency of experts is to fiddle around with their expertise rather than trying to find new solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/the-tendency-of-experts-is-to-fiddle-around-with-their-expertise/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [It was inevitable that in the proliferation of media and media channels and the natural debasing of authority that comes when you make an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/it-was-inevitable-that-in-the-proliferation-of-media-and-media/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [One of the problems with expertise is that people have it in some domains and not in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/one-of-the-problems-with-expertise-is-that-people-have-it-in-some/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [In my own life, I found that whenever I wasn't sure what to do next, I would go and learn a lot, read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ng/in-my-own-life-i-found-that-whenever-i-wasn-t-sure-what-to-do-next-i/) [Andrew Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ng/) > [The thing that people associate with expertise, authoritativeness, kind of with a capital 'A,' don't correlate very well with who's actually good at making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/the-thing-that-people-associate-with-expertise-authoritativeness-kind/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [“Specialization, concentration and consistency is the key to outstanding performance... Love your zone!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/specialization-concentration-and-consistency-is-the-key-to/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [You must continue to gain expertise, but avoid thinking like an expert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/you-must-continue-to-gain-expertise-but-avoid-thinking-like-an-expert/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“You can be an expert on anything if you just use logic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-carolla/you-can-be-an-expert-on-anything-if-you-just-use-logic/) [Adam Carolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-carolla/) > [Rank and expertise do not necessarily coincide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-e-weick/rank-and-expertise-do-not-necessarily-coincide/) [Karl E. Weick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-e-weick/) > [“Some days are better than others. The same can be said about people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-days-are-better-than-others-the-same-can-be-said-about-people/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Sometimes it takes an expert to point out the obvious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-allen/sometimes-it-takes-an-expert-to-point-out-the-obvious/) [Scott Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-allen/) > [“Marketing is so powerful that it can make even an extremely untalented musician a one-hundred-hits wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/marketing-is-so-powerful-that-it-can-make-even-an-extremely/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Be warned that being an expert is more than understanding how a system is supposed to work. Expertise is gained by investigating why a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-redman/be-warned-that-being-an-expert-is-more-than-understanding-how-a/) Brian Redman ## More by Daniel Kahneman > [Economists think about what people ought to do. Psychologists watch what they actually do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/economists-think-about-what-people-ought-to-do-psychologists-watch/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Belief in the Law of Small Numbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/belief-in-the-law-of-small-numbers/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“People who are poor think like traders, but the dynamics are quite different. Unlike traders, the poor are not indifferent to the differences between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-who-are-poor-think-like-traders-but-the-dynamics-are-quite/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Mood evidently affects the operation of System 1: when we are uncomfortable and unhappy, we lose touch with our intuition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/mood-evidently-affects-the-operation-of-system-1-when-we-are/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [The confidence that individuals have in their beliefs depends mostly on the quality of the story they can tell about what they see, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-confidence-that-individuals-have-in-their-beliefs-depends-mostly/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“So this is my aim for watercooler conversations: improve the ability to identify and understand errors of judgment and choice, in others and eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/so-this-is-my-aim-for-watercooler-conversations-improve-the-ability/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“For example, I recently came to doubt my long-held impression that adultery is more common among politicians than among physicians or lawyers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/for-example-i-recently-came-to-doubt-my-long-held-impression-that/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Survival prospects are poor for an animal that is not suspicious of novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/survival-prospects-are-poor-for-an-animal-that-is-not-suspicious-of/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“the idea of money primes individualism: a reluctance to be involved with others, to depend on others, or to accept demands from others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-idea-of-money-primes-individualism-a-reluctance-to-be-involved/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Most of the moments of our life - and I calculated, you know, the psychological present is said to be about three seconds long;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/most-of-the-moments-of-our-life-and-i-calculated-you-know-the/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“knowing little makes it easier to fit everything you know into a coherent pattern.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/knowing-little-makes-it-easier-to-fit-everything-you-know-into-a/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [All of us would be better investors if we just made fewer decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/all-of-us-would-be-better-investors-if-we-just-made-fewer-decisions/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“The best we can do is a compromise: learn to recognize situations in which mistakes are likely and try harder to avoid significant mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-best-we-can-do-is-a-compromise-learn-to-recognize-situations-in/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“A happy mood loosens the control of System 2 over performance: when in a good mood, people become more intuitive and more creative but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/a-happy-mood-loosens-the-control-of-system-2-over-performance-when-in/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [It's nonsense to say money doesn't buy happiness, but people exaggerate the extent to which more money can buy more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/it-s-nonsense-to-say-money-doesn-t-buy-happiness-but-people/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) [Explore all 560 Daniel Kahneman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) ## More Boundaries quotes > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I never go anywhere or do anything that transports me outside the boundaries of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-never-go-anywhere-or-do-anything-that-transports-me-outside-the/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [As a kid, in the Runaways, I would see the interviewers start to ask about our personal lives and what we did — and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/as-a-kid-in-the-runaways-i-would-see-the-interviewers-start-to-ask/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/understanding-science-and-pushing-the-boundaries-of-science-is-what/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [“Let us not subside into a single mandatory way of thinking or feeling, immersed by a spirit of self-gratification. But let’s dig into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/let-us-not-subside-into-a-single-mandatory-way-of-thinking-or-feeling/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [The question of boundaries is a major question of the Jewish people because the Jews are the great experts of crossing boundaries. They have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-b-yehoshua/the-question-of-boundaries-is-a-major-question-of-the-jewish-people/) [A. B. Yehoshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-yehoshua/) > [Working against a restriction - for me - often produces greater things than getting rid of all boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lord/working-against-a-restriction-for-me-often-produces-greater-things/) [Jon Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lord/) > [That's what all art's about - a sense of moving away from boundaries that you can't in real life. Like a dancer is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/that-s-what-all-art-s-about-a-sense-of-moving-away-from-boundaries/) [Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/) > [The boundaries between contemporary art and cinema are so rigid. It's unbelievable. The film critics don't know my artwork and the art world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/the-boundaries-between-contemporary-art-and-cinema-are-so-rigid-it-s/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) [Browse all 2,012 Boundaries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Kahneman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-boundaries-of-their-expertise-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boundaries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-boundaries-of-their-expertise-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/daniel-kahneman-431_boundaries_experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-bou_62328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/daniel-kahneman-431_boundaries_experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-bou_62328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/daniel-kahneman-431_boundaries_experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-bou_62328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.” — Daniel Kahneman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Daniel Kahneman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Experts don't know exactly where the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-boundaries-of-their-expertise-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-boundaries-of-their-expertise-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```