Ph.D Does Not Equal God?

Question

Society gives so much credit to people with Ph.D titles. We put these smart people on top of mount Everest and for what? Anyone who loves school and has money, can work hard to earn a Ph.D. Colleges roll out the red carpet for professors because they are smart and in fact, they are intelligent. However, there are MILLIONS of reasons why certain people never reach a title beyond the B.A. or B.S. degree level. Why do we feel a need to worship people, for example, like Dr. Phil? Is he God? Can people with Ph.D titles walk on water or fly without an airplane?

Your reply?

Answer 1

1) Not everyone can earn a PhD. In fact, even PhD programs have a high dropout rate - and many people never make it to the point where they could be accepted into a program.

2) I don't know anyone who worships Dr. Phil. But I know many, many people with PhDs. In general, they are intelligent, witty, well-spoken, and fascinating people. Well-worth getting to know. Frankly, I'd much rather hang out with the PhDs than pretty much anyone else.

Answer 2

Everyone doesn't listen to the PhD types - some people prefer to get their answers from less educated people. Some people even think that they know as much as the PhD just because it's not fair that they themselves can't get a PhD.

There are millions of reasons why I can't do brain surgery, that doesn't mean you want to let me dig around in your head just because it's not fair that I can't be a brain surgeon. Fact is, if someone has a PhD, he does indeed know more than almost everyone else about something. The real question is, why don't the people who don't know as much listen to the person who does know? And, why can some people not see that they really don't know as much as a PhD?

Who asked you to worship a PhD or told you that they can walk on water/fly without a plane? I suspect that the most you've been asked to do is to acknowledge that these people do indeed know more than you about something. That's why they have a PhD and some other people don't. It really is a simple concept - some people are smarter than other people. Sometimes it is nothing more than opportunity that created/developed that intelligence and lack of opportunity that holds others back. That doesn't change the fact that a person with a PhD generally knows more than the person without.

The Dunning-Krugger Effect is alive and at work in our society.

Answer 3

I'll say it again: I've met STUPID people who hold PhDs. I've met IGNORANT people with PhDs. And I also know (I don't "know" him personally, he's a famous writer, journalist and critic) a high school graduate who corrected the doctoral diatribes of PhD candidates before they submitted them to their supervisors. He did this for a living. One of the most educated men in my country and recognized as such.

I'm in no way saying that a PhD equals nothing. It is a qualification for certain types of work and "proof" if you like, of a better education. However, it doesn't ALWAYS mean that the person holding it is more educated than others and certainly it does not imply that Dr X is God.

Answer 4

We assume you don't mind if the high school drop out janitor does surgery on your brain or treats you for depression.

We also assume you'd take the ground up tree bark a Native American Medicine Man would give you (afterall, it is essentially what Asprin is made of, just not refined in a laboratory by PHD chemists).

Answer 5

Ph. D does not equal god. Although I do respect people who have a Ph. D because they worked hard for it (in most cases).

Answer 6

they're human too, simply smart people, may not even be much more intelligent than average. we don't need to worship them

Answer 7

I'm taking it you're an astronomer who doesn't want to go to graduate school.

Answer 8

I think you're taking it a little too far...that's my reply.

Answer 9

i take it you don't have a Ph.D lol........