Expertise?

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I want know what my expertise is or could be with practice.
I ask questions like: What is it that I am or could be really good at?

How did you found out what you were really good at?

Yes yes I know....I might not even have an expertise according to some of you since it is not true that everyone have an expertise...
But I am not so sure. I think everyone should have some kind of expertise.

So I am the guy who likes to do an analysis on the terminology. What do we even mean by expertise?
Is there a good definition this term?

Well expertise, in my opinion, is having the ability to do something and the willingness and ability to deepen that ability. That then takes both interest and focus which means sacrificing time from other things.

I guess I am sort of a wiz on music for having spent so much time with the subject but I lack the focus and motivation to make myself a true expert. I just dont think about it externally like how I could bring my knowledge to others, it's an internal hobbyist mind that gives me pleasure. Also I am unwilling to sacrifice too much time from other things I enjoy almost as much like art, books, movies, food, comedy, philosophy, crafts, nature and so on.

I don't think expertise is necessary or it should be strived for; it is an internal engine that pushes some towards it. It doesen't necessarily make anyone happier, give them better job opportunities etc. If you don't have it, please rather spend time just doing what you enjoy than trying to fabricate this trajectory for yourself.

I had not idea about my skills strengths and weaknesses even though I was given "aptitude tests" in high school as a sort of guidance for jobs to seek after I graduated.

When I was about age 40 (many many years ago!) I got a book called "what color is your parachute" which has had multiple printings. The early versions had almost half the book devoted to finding skills and strengths, our interests and the best ways to work for us as individuals.

It was a lot of homework, including going all the way back to childhood to sort what was most interesting and exciting for us then, what we liked best about every thing we did in school, what we enjoyed most in play, hobbies, recreation, and how much we knew about almost everything we did in the past, which we liked and what we hated. there were yes and no questions, lots of other pages of questions, etc.

At the end of all that (it took a couple of weeks to really work at it and get into deep details. there were explanations about how the skills we discovered could be used in different ways.

I expect you could get a version of that book wherever used books are sold and take all those tests, do some thinking about it, and have a much better understanding of your best strengths and weaknesses, as well as find some suggestions about what you could do with those skills. I found the whole thing fascinating and got insights I never suspected. Cheering you on!

PS most states in the USA have employment offices, and there are temporary work agencies, both of which will also give skills tests if you are looking for a job through them. That is part of the help given in refining a job search.

Expertise is just skill or knowledge in a particular thing. You'll probably find it in the special interests many of us have, if not elsewhere.

There are some things I'm quite good at.