A lot of 'experts' still talk about this thing called the Renaissance for example. The Italian 'rinascimento' doesn't quite mean that and the 19th century invented term isn't helpful. With history, the trouble is that 'popular history' is often fifty years behind contemporary academic history.

I've thought for a while now that we- by which I mean the general public- have been misinformed about the Renaissance.

Nobody can ever be an 'expert' in things that are variable - but one can at least be a student, and open to learning... There's never an excuse for refusing to countenance an educated viewpoint just because you already have a preconceived notion.

Always believe that there's a chance the experts may be incorrect, but at least give them the courtesy of hearing them out. :-)

I like the idea of using the word "student" in place of "expert". Knowledge is a prerequisite but not a guarantee of understanding.

Exactly. :-)

The problem often comes when people who have studied one particular field of knowledge in depth and who genuinely have expertise in that field start pronouncing on things that are outside their field of expertise.

It must be very difficult to exercise self-restraint once the media has identified you as an "expert".