I was very impressed by the pediatric cardioliogist who saw our daughter when she was a few months old.   My wife asked about some test results before the doctor arrived in the room.  They had not recieved them.  We frantically attempted to get in contact with someone who could handle the situation.  The Dr shortly arrived, and when told of the problem seemed completely unconcerned.  "The best advice I got from my wise mentors was 'do your own work'" he said.  "The only times I have ever really got myself in a bind have been when I believed something somebody else sent me" 

Long story, probably wasn't worth it, but my point is that many times it turns out to be very expensive to purchase knowledge.   The cost in not in the purchase price, but rather in the quality of the "knowledge" purchased.   I'll contend that if you don't understand what you are doing you probably shouldn't be doing it.     Hiring someone to do something you understand for time management reasons is one thing.  Hiring someone to do something when you have no comprehension of what is involved requires a very high level of trust in those you contract with, which is often not practically obtainible.  If you can't be absolutely confident in the "expert" both in skill and in judgement/integrity then you may as well call psychic friends network. 

Perhaps I phrased my comments poorly before, however when it comes to my primary occupation I would not be very well qualified to do my job if everyone I talked to knew more about it then I do.   Sure, others are going to have good ideas which haven't been thought of before.  Others are going to figure out the answer to riddles which were unanswered.  Lots can be learned by interacting with others in and outside of the field.  I did not mean to imply othewise.  If, on the other hand, a new idea or practice is so far outside the existing realm of knowledge that a competent person in the field cannot comprehend it when it is explained, I'd rate the odds pretty high that it is one of those "wrong trees" you are better off not wasting your time barking at.