As a matter of course, I always defer to expertise. No matter how intelligent I might be, I'm not a doctor, lawyer, or scientist. That doesn't mean you can't question expertise. I'm a journalist. Grilling experts is part of the job, and you interview multiple, if you can, to ensure consistency.
max asher millerAt some point, we allowed expertise to be recast as ivory tower elitism, and we need to grow the hell up. Elitism is when you dismiss the rural working class as a bunch of moonshine-swilling hicks, not when you assert your hard-won expertise in the relevant field.