# Ever notice how some PhD holder are incredibly arrogant and think of themselves as gods? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 13, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468 "2019-02-13T15:35:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Swampwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Swampwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swampwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/41 "2019-02-13T23:11:45Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > I would have enormous respect - and fear - of a **Dr. Monstro.** I’d totally be a minion. Sure, the fringe benefits would probably be crap, but the business cards would look cool as hell! ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/42 "2019-02-13T23:16:32Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > I once worked with a guy who insisted that everyone call him Doctor. His surname was Bates, so we were expected to call him Doctor Bates. I once asked him what other degrees he had. He was all too happy to talk about his two Masters degrees. I asked, “What did people call you when you only had the Masters degrees but not the PhD?” He was confused so I followed up with, “Did they call you Master?” He didn’t find it funny. That’s because they called him Maestro. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/43 "2019-02-13T23:45:18Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I put “PhD” in the signature of my work emails. I don’t go around introducing myself as “Doctor monstro” and I don’t request that people address me that way. But I do have my degree in my sig, just like everyone I work with who has a Ph.D or professional certification (like PE’s). > > At first I didn’t do this…thinking someone would accuse me of braggadociousness if I did. But it was an old boss of mine who told me to do it. He was banking on the fact he had a PhD on his staff, and he wanted everyone to know it. > > It has been my experience that the only people who seem to have a real problem with this convention are people nursing an inferiority complex. > > At any rate, despite my signature, it is a common occurence for associates of mine (including coworkers) to be surprised when they find out that I have a PhD. It is usually discovered when they hear someone else joking around with me by calling me “doctor”. So it doesn’t appear that very many people even notice those letters in my signature. Except for folks are who are inclined to feel butthurt, I suppose. > > Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk We don’t mind the PhD thing so much, really. It’s the Tapatalk shout-out that pisses us off… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/44 "2019-02-14T01:31:30Z")
I’ll happily grant PhDs the right to call themselves “Doctor” all they want, including at restaurants so the front staff can call out “Doctor Nudnik” when their table is ready, when making appointments for hair styling etc. Lots more palatable than the legion of rug doctors, basement doctors, doctors of chiropractic and such that litter the landscape. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/45 "2019-02-14T01:48:36Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/46 "2019-02-14T02:35:43Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > My experience has been that those working in places with almost no PhDs use the title far more than those working in places with lots. My department at Bell Labs was 50% PhD, and no one used it. When someone called my boss doctor, he said that he never used it because he didn’t want anyone asking for advice on a headache. > The only exception was one university where a fair number of professors did not have doctorates, and where “Doctor X” was thus higher prestige than “Professor X.” Ph.D’s are quite uncommon in my agency (though their numbers are increasing), so anyone who has one gets noticed. But the only time anyone non-ironically calls me “Doctor” is when my boss introduces me at a public meeting before I step up to give a presentation. I don’t know if the public cares, but I think such formality is reasonable in that limited context. Out of curiosity, I did a random search through my inbox to see if the professors I’m in regular correspondence with have Ph.D in their signatures. About half of them do. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/47 "2019-02-14T02:48:44Z")
Ever notice how your boss says “I’m the boss. If you don’t like it, then quit.” The nerve of them. I should be able to do whatever I want at work, regardless of what the job entails. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/48 "2019-02-14T03:20:18Z")
Judging from some of the threads the OP has started, I’ll guess one of his (?) more commonly used phrases is “What, you think you’re _better_ than me, huh?” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/49 "2019-02-14T03:22:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’m a Doctor of Philosophy. (really!) > > Tell me what you believe and I’ll tell you if it’s sick. Oh, thanks, doc. You don’t know how long I’ve had to wait for other PhD’s. My primary care “Phud” is booked til May, and there’s a $29.99 copay from my HMO. Anyhow, I’ve got a pain right _here…_ and I think it’s because I tried to layer Suburban Angst over Nihilistic Ennui. Can you prescribe anything for that? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/50 "2019-02-14T03:41:27Z")
Folks who were working at my facility back when people were often paged on PA system tell me that a certain fellow would page himself from time to time, just to hear the announcer say “Dr \, please call the front desk” (or something like that). I strongly suspect that Mr. \ was a jerk before he got the doctorate though… ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/51 "2019-02-14T06:24:50Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Judging from some of the threads the OP has started, I’ll guess one of his (?) more commonly used phrases is “What, you think you’re _better_ than me, huh?” All of his threads so far are questions. Perhaps the highlight of them all, sort of a meta-question, is “[Is there such thing as a stupid question](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870582)?”. I’m happy to say that, after philosophers struggled with this epistemological issue since the beginning of civilization, we finally have the answer thanks to our new member the OP, who provides evidence that the answer is incontrovertibly in the affirmative, with so far eight spectacular examples of stupid questions, all personally provided by our esteemed new join. I wanted to cite a highlight but they’re all so ineffably stupid that it’s hard to pick just one. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/52 "2019-02-14T06:41:13Z")
We Humans have a tendency to want to BE gods. To have power, fame, wealth, whatever we think will make us happy, respected, feared and let us do whatever we want whenever we want it, regardless of the feelings or well being of others. Human Nature. Just like when some people get their black belts in a martial art, they immediately become swollen with pride and a false self-image of power, lord it over those of lower ranks and want to close the door behind them. This kind of thing is ludicrously common. So likewise when people gain any other position of power and influence, no matter how small the pond. Power corrupts. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/53 "2019-02-14T06:46:40Z")
I knew two PHDs who thought themselves more learned then everyone else. One is this punk who got in in something like Political science from Cambridge and he _never_ let’s anyone forget it. It’s his “argument winner”. The other was my grandfather. Now his degree was in something a bit more deep (AstroPhysics). He didn’t think this made him better than everyone. The fact he had read about \*everything \* on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/54 "2019-02-14T10:19:14Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Heck, we go out for a beer with our students (mostly undergrads) after evening classes. > > I’ve never “pulled rank” on students. If you have to, you’ve already lost their respect… and will only lose more if you say “Because I have a degree that you don’t!” The spouse, who has a PhD and teaches undergraduates, has been known to drop a “Look, I’m not saying all this stuff for my benefit - I already have my degrees” from time to time to make a point about paying fucking attention in class. She doesn’t bang people over the head with her PhD but does insist that, when titles are used, the correct one is employed. So she’s fine being called by name, but don’t call her Ms or Mrs. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/55 "2019-02-14T10:35:04Z")
Hey, I didn’t spend 5 years at Evil Doctor school to be called ‘Mr’! ---
**Author:** ![CharmaChameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@CharmaChameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CharmaChameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/56 "2019-02-14T11:17:46Z")
About 18 years ago at the place I worked we got a new government program manager. At the next staff meeting (no gov PM in attendance) my contractor PM announced that we would always address and refer to the new government guy as “Doctor” \. Since I always could be counted on for a question, I raised my hand and asked if the new government PM would always address and refer to me as “Master” (based on my highest degree at the time). [crickets–forever]. (Well, forever, at least until it was found that his doctorate was from a well-known diploma mill, and if he ever met a differential equation he ran screaming from the room. Tough.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/57 "2019-02-14T13:54:59Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Oh, thanks, doc. You don’t know how long I’ve had to wait for other PhD’s. My primary care “Phud” is booked til May, and there’s a $29.99 copay from my HMO. > > Anyhow, I’ve got a pain right _here…_ and I think it’s because I tried to layer Suburban Angst over Nihilistic Ennui. Can you prescribe anything for that? I’m afraid you have a near-terminal case of \*déjà vu \*. As I told you before, there’s nothing I can do about it. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/58 "2019-02-14T14:07:18Z")
I dunno about PhD holders, but I have found from experience that everyone who broadbrushes people with advanced degrees as “arrogant” is pretty much a fucking dunce. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/59 "2019-02-14T14:09:15Z")
I have a 17 year-old convinced the world revolves around her and she doesn’t even have her GED yet! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468/60 "2019-02-14T15:06:40Z")
Not sure why everyone is down on PhD holders putting the acronym in their signatures. I thought that was common for folks with advanced degrees? wguy123 BS [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-notice-how-some-phd-holder-are-incredibly-arrogant-and-think-of-themselves-as-gods/829468.md?page=4)