--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An expert is one who knows more and more…" description: "\"An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing.\" — Nicholas Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/nicholas-butler-105501_absolutely_an-expert-is-one-who-knows-more-and-more_470960.jpg" --- # An expert is one who knows more and more about less and… ![“An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing.” quote by Nicholas Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/nicholas-butler-105501_absolutely_an-expert-is-one-who-knows-more-and-more_470960.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/nicholas-butler-105501_absolutely_an-expert-is-one-who-knows-more-and-more_470960.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/nicholas-butler-105501_absolutely_an-expert-is-one-who-knows-more-and-more_470960.jpg) > “An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing.” Nicholas Butler ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expertise grows by narrowing focus until one knows nothing of broader scope. **In simple terms:** Deep focus leads to narrow expertise. Key Takeaway Balance depth with breadth. Themes expertise focus narrowing knowledge paradox Mood analytical critical curious Type Absolutely:0 Expert:1 Knowledge:1 Knows:1 Research:1 Expert Knows:0 Knows Knows:0 Knows Absolutely:0 When to use this quote - research specialization - academic career - personal learning Key Concepts epistemology career development philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can you broaden your perspective? - When is deep focus valuable? A Different Perspective Over‑specialization may limit adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expert/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [The expert knows more and more about less and less until he knows everything about nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-expert-knows-more-and-more-about-less-and-less-until-he-knows/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-butler/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-more-and-more-about-less-and-less-2/) Nicholas Butler > [“eyes to do, but what he knows to be absolutely”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eyes-to-do-but-what-he-knows-to-be-absolutely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many people will tell you that an expert is someone who knows a great deal about the subject. To this I would object that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/many-people-will-tell-you-that-an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-a-great/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [“An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.” NICHOLAS MURRAY BUTLER”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-sevilla/an-expert-is-one-who-knows-more-and-more-about-less-and-less-nicholas/) [Charles M. Sevilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-sevilla/) > [An expert is someone who knows a lot about the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hopkins/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-a-lot-about-the-past/) [Tom Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hopkins/) > [An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less, until eventually he knows everything about nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mcmahon/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-more-and-more-about-less-and-less/) [Andrew McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mcmahon/) > [An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-some-of-the-worst-mistakes-that-can-be/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [An expert knows all the answers - if you ask the right questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-strauss/an-expert-knows-all-the-answers-if-you-ask-the-right-questions/) [Levi Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levi-strauss/) > [An expert knows the subject very well. A model teaches by showing instead of just telling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-leonard/an-expert-knows-the-subject-very-well-a-model-teaches-by-showing/) [Thomas Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-leonard/) > [An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-expert-is-one-who-knows-more-and-more-about-less-and-less/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrow field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-some-of-the-worst-mistakes-which-can/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [“There can be something he knows absolutely nothing about, and because of his crazy style and utter conviction, he can convince people that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-can-be-something-he-knows-absolutely-nothing-about-and-because/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [Businesses should absolutely set aside funding in their budgets for security consultants. Unless there is an expert on staff, and there usually is not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/businesses-should-absolutely-set-aside-funding-in-their-budgets-for/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) ## More by Nicholas Butler > [“An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-butler/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-more-and-more-about-less-and-less-2/) Nicholas Butler Explore all 2 Nicholas Butler quotes ## More Absolutely quotes > [I am absolutely my own biggest critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lando-norris/i-am-absolutely-my-own-biggest-critic/) [Lando Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lando-norris/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) > [I was brought up by the English side of my family, who are very repressed and working class. 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