19  The specialists

No lesson seems to be so deeply inculcated by the experience of life as that you never should trust experts. If you believe in doctors, nothing is wholesome; if you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent; if you believe the soldiers, nothing is safe. They all require to have their strong wine diluted by a very large admixture of insipid common sense. Letter to Lord Lytton, 15 June 1877; in Lady Gwendolen Cecil, Life of Robert, Marquis of Salisbury)

The above caveat may be well over the top but specialist feature writers need to keep in mind that the expert professionals they consult usually have an agenda whether conceded or not. The general principle of checking and counter-checking holds good. We need experts much ...

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