Wernher Von Braun had this to say on the matter: “One good test is worth a thousand expert opinions.”

— Peter Hollins, Mental Models

Interdisciplinary communication works only if there is a real problem to be solved, and if the representatives from the various disciplines are more committed to solving the problem than to being academically correct.

— Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems

What I quickly realized was that even harsh feedback makes you smarter and better at your job because it helps you think of things from different angles

— Jim Whitehurst and Gary Hamel, The Open Organization

Being an expert isn’t telling other people what you know. It’s understanding what questions to ask, and flexibly applying your knowledge to the specific situation at hand. Being an expert means providing sensible, highly contextual direction.

— Jeff Atwood, How to Stop Sucking and Be Awesome Instead

Wealth acquired by creating value for society is not equivalent to wealth that comes from economic rents. For example, a very important factor in the increasing inequality of wealth in many countries has been the increase in real estate prices. But the owner of a building, unlike the inventor of a new treatment for cancer, does not create value for society.

— Jean Tirole and Steven Rendall, Economics for the Common Good