Rightfully or wrongly, I do believe that academics are held to a higher standard than a layperson. We do have more education than the average person. We are leaders in innovation, technology, and thought. Academics have a huge role in society in creating new products, arguing new ideas, and changing current culture.
We're still human.
And when I see academics behaving in very (ill-mannered) human-like ways, I'm very disappointed and surprised. Granted, I believe that all people should have good manners, but somehow seeing someone with so much education who should "know better" behaving in a boorish manner just exasperates me more than someone who isn't as well-educated.
I've seen some pretty ridiculous behavior since becoming a professor. Email fights about the proper spelling. Or name calling over a misperceived slight in a tone of voice. Or accusing a colleague of purposely misspelling another colleague's name out of spite. I understand that we all can't get along all the time, but if we're going to fight, I wish it were a fight worth having.
A why and an eavesdropping and a brief update
2 years ago
hmmm. I expect it more because of the social awkwardness and insular, arrogant mentality that research training can condition in someone. Then maybe I would expect it more at a T1 than a SLAC. Food for thought...
ReplyDeleteProfessors and other academics are often just weird and don't know how to play properly with others. We are typically self-selected for being independently successful... thus sometimes this obliviousness to others. Hope you don't have to dear with this BS *too* often.
ReplyDelete