pun·dit
/ˈpəndət/
noun
plural noun: pundits
- an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called on to give opinions about it to the public.
- variant spelling of pandit.
I’ve been thinking about this word a lot. You hear it all over the news – radio, television – especially around elections. According to Dictionary.com, the origin of Pundit comes from the Hindi pandit. And pandit was derived from the Sanskrit pandita, which means “a learned man or scholar.”
But an expert generally has a very narrow view. Outside of subject matter, experts may not focus on other fields. I wouldn’t want my surgeon to work on my car’s engine, just as I wouldn’t want my mechanic to operate on my anything.
Yet we routinely take the expert’s advice concerning more than just the subject material without consideration of any other factors. It’s our responsibility to make informed decisions. Not to rely on one person’s opinion.
