--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the things that is wrong with…" description: "\"One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field is expected to be an authority on every su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/elmer-davis-20512_america_one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-ame_365035.png" --- # One of the things that is wrong with America is that… ![“One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field is expected to be an authority on every subject under the sun” quote by Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/elmer-davis-20512_america_one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-ame_365035.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/elmer-davis-20512_america_one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-ame_365035.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/elmer-davis-20512_america_one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-ame_365035.png) > “One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field is expected to be an authority on every subject under the sun” [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques the expectation that experts must comment on all topics, highlighting the limits of authority and the danger of overextension. **In simple terms:** Experts shouldn't be forced to speak on everything. Key Takeaway Recognize expertise boundaries. Themes expertise authority discipline media public discourse Mood skeptical reflective critical Type commentary philosophical When to use this quote - academic panels - policy advising - media commentary - consulting - public debates Key Concepts knowledge limits specialization credibility information overload Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to speak outside your field? - How can we respect expertise without silencing diverse voices? A Different Perspective Specialists may still be called upon for unrelated issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-everybody-455276/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Expected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expected/) [Expected Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expected-authority-3342809/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Wrong America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-america-699881/) ## Related quotes > [People go to the movies instead of moving. Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/people-go-to-the-movies-instead-of-moving-hollywood-characters-are/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [In America, everybody thinks they're an entrepreneur. That's the problem. It's not a title that anybody should call oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sugar/in-america-everybody-thinks-they-re-an-entrepreneur-that-s-the/) [Alan Sugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sugar/) > [In America, everybody is, but some are more than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/in-america-everybody-is-but-some-are-more-than-others/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [This is America, and everybody has the right to voice and to have an opinion and to have their commentary on things and people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamman-rucker/this-is-america-and-everybody-has-the-right-to-voice-and-to-have-an/) [Lamman Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamman-rucker/) > [I would never go to a place and live there because the weather was good or the scenery was beautiful or the architecture was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-would-never-go-to-a-place-and-live-there-because-the-weather-was/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [The great thing about America is everybody should vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-great-thing-about-america-is-everybody-should-vote/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [When athletes are obsessed with whatever identity niche they've backed themselves into at the expense of showcasing America, everybody suffers. They forget to focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/when-athletes-are-obsessed-with-whatever-identity-niche-they-ve/) [Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/) > [“Yes, movies! Look at them — All of those glamorous people — having adventures — hogging it all, gobbling the whole thing up! You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/yes-movies-look-at-them-all-of-those-glamorous-people-having/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“It was once said that this is the land of the free. There is, I believe, a statue out there in the harbor, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/it-was-once-said-that-this-is-the-land-of-the-free-there-is-i-believe/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [“America, everybody is in too big a rush. Lay back, take a sip of tea, mow a little grass. Then if you get tired,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-bauer/america-everybody-is-in-too-big-a-rush-lay-back-take-a-sip-of-tea-mow/) [Timothy Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-bauer/) > [I had no accomplishments except surviving. But that isn't enough in the community where I came from, because everybody was doing it. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-had-no-accomplishments-except-surviving-but-that-isn-t-enough-in/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [Officiating is the only job in America that everybody knows how to do better than the guy who is doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-goetz/officiating-is-the-only-job-in-america-that-everybody-knows-how-to-do/) [Larry Goetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-goetz/) > [This is the story of America. Everybody's doing what they think they're supposed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/this-is-the-story-of-america-everybody-s-doing-what-they-think-they/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [All the f------ experts in America, everybody who thinks they know about soccer, they can all look at the score tonight and let's see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bradley/all-the-f-experts-in-america-everybody-who-thinks-they-know-about/) [Michael Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bradley/) > [This is America, and everybody should have a right to say what they want to say. But I think there's a time and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-van-zant/this-is-america-and-everybody-should-have-a-right-to-say-what-they/) [Johnny Van Zant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-van-zant/) ## More by Elmer Davis > [You may not like Mr. Roosevelt, but if he loss the war, we all lose it with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/you-may-not-like-mr-roosevelt-but-if-he-loss-the-war-we-all-lose-it/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/this-nation-will-remain-the-land-of-the-free-only-so-long-as-it-is/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [“The first and greatest commandment is, Don't let them scare you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-first-and-greatest-commandment-is-don-t-let-them-scare-you/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [We are going to use the truth, and we are going to use it toward the end of winning the war; and we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/we-are-going-to-use-the-truth-and-we-are-going-to-use-it-toward-the/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [There is an increasing demand that the president and Secretary Hull get rid of the unteachable group in the State Department of men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/there-is-an-increasing-demand-that-the-president-and-secretary-hull/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [When a middle-aged man says in a moment of weariness that he is half dead, he is telling the literal truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/when-a-middle-aged-man-says-in-a-moment-of-weariness-that-he-is-half/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The only identification that would be inscribed on any cat's collar would be "This is the cat's cat."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-only-identification-that-would-be-inscribed-on-any-cat-s-collar/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [This republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/this-republic-was-not-established-by-cowards-and-cowards-will-not/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The American public has a right to know what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-american-public-has-a-right-to-know-what-s-going-on/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [Large elements in Congress and the public were willing to fight for victory but wanted to be very sure that the struggle was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/large-elements-in-congress-and-the-public-were-willing-to-fight-for/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The first and great commandment is: Don't let them scare you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-first-and-great-commandment-is-don-t-let-them-scare-you/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [New York was growing so fast that the extraordinary prosperity which attended 'The Times' almost from the outset brought no real injury to any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/new-york-was-growing-so-fast-that-the-extraordinary-prosperity-which/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [I believe that if the entire voting population of the United States could be taken in small groups on a personally conducted tour of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/i-believe-that-if-the-entire-voting-population-of-the-united-states/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [The chief characteristic of 'The Tribune' under Greeley was an aggressive and even ostentatious purity. 'Immoral and degrading police reports,' and any notices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/the-chief-characteristic-of-the-tribune-under-greeley-was-an/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [All young people want to kick up their heels and defy convention; most of them would prefer to do it at a not too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/all-young-people-want-to-kick-up-their-heels-and-defy-convention-most/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) [Explore all 30 Elmer Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field is expected to be an authority on every subject under the sun", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elmer Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-america-is-that-everybody-who/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-america-is-that-everybody-who/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/elmer-davis-20512_america_one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-ame_365035.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/elmer-davis-20512_america_one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-ame_365035.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/elmer-davis-20512_america_one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-ame_365035.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field…” — Elmer Davis", "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": "Elmer Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One of the things that is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-america-is-that-everybody-who/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/one-of-the-things-that-is-wrong-with-america-is-that-everybody-who/#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 } } ] } ```