I've only just seen that you're Bluejay!! I was wondering who this Mantis is
Maybe I should stay silent then, because, as of right now, I only have a BS myself
Not at all - as you said, the most important thing is to be aware of being only a layman, yet striving for much more. As much as I like having a few areas of expertise, there is no greater thrill than riding a near-vertical learning curve as a complete novice - that's why I always seek out the best in any field I enter, and learn as much as I can from them. They show you just how high the bar is - the higher it is, the more you have to stretch yourself to reach it. Most "experts" have rather low bars, and once they reach them, they have no reason to push further...