Should people with PHD's call themselves, "doctor"?

Unlike a person in uniform or the appearance of seniority of age, how is it you would determine the level of respect giving a person, if not for a title being used or offered.
I was taught to respect my elders without contempt simple because their age demanded it, it has harmed me none.

 

I call those I encounter yet don't know personally, Sir and M'am. I have done that my entire life. If that is not good enough I don't know what is....

 

I know I'm done with that "Preacher Tony" BS!

 

Big difference between fake and actually walking the walk. Some of you make it sound like it takes nothing to get a Phd in education. To compare world of warcraft to getting a PhD pretty well concludes your argument. If you prefer to be called by your middle name, you politely ask that of others and those that have respect and are courteous will do just that. Those that are jealous or rude or struggle with the concept wont. To conclude that everyone with a PhD that prefers to be called "Doctor" is a snob, is fallacy and narrow minded.

Common courtey dictates that you call someone Doctor if that is what they prefer. Like it or not, they already earned that respect. It came with the work and dedication it took to get it.

 

That is the best policy to have. Once a person shows that they do not deserve the respect proffered by those titles is when you start using them while biting your tounge.

 

Kind of an amusing thread.

What's amusing is the fact that folks get in a snit because someone would like to be addressed by a title that they have actually earned.

It is a fact though, that, in this country, physicians have appropriated the term "doctor." As someone pointed out, it would be very confusing in a hospital setting, to have people who are not physicians addressed as "doctor." I understand that physicians with Bachelor of Medicine degrees from England, well qualified physicians, are addressed as "doctor" even though they are not doctors.
I suspect this is designed to avoid allowing patients to believe that they are not being treated by a real "doctor."

And physicians themselves are very possessive of the title, even using it when they make reservations for lunch or order a pizza. So for myself, I would not insist on being addressed as doctor out of consideration for those uninformed as to the existence of doctoral degrees and the difference between a degree and an occupation. My wife, a Ph.D. candidate is of the same opinion.

 

I'll leave this conversation with: They can call themselves whatever they so desire, but there is no requirement for anyone to follow their lead unless they want to.

 

I am sure you view this as a kind of an amusing thread. I am in a snit (never used that word) and I am an uninformed person as well. Give me a break. It has nothing to do with that at all. Why can't a public school middle school principal just asked to be called Mr. Smith/Principal Smith instead of doctor Smith?

 

I would say its only required if you don't want to be disrespectful. Seriously, if a college professor has earned a doctorate and wants to be addressed as such, why would that irritate you? Again, he earned the distinction and you are in his classroom. I had a couple of professors that went by "Dr." and they were first rate individuals that cared a lot for their students and their profession. It was my privilege to know them. Maybe that's why I can not comprehend anyone having a problem addressing their professor as "Dr." if they so wish.

 

I had many college professors that we were well known, published, had their phd's, and were top notch. I don't ever remember having any of them ask us to call them "doctor". It was just professor. So maybe that is why I am having such a tough time calling a middle school principal, doctor.

 

He has his doctorate that took a lot of years and work to get. Why should he not be addressed as "Dr."? He is a doctor of education administration. That's not really a cake walk.

 

I called all of my college professor's "Dr. Whoever". They never asked me to, I just did it out of respect. I don't understand why this would bother anyone.

My co-worker in the office next to me has his PhD. If he told me to refer to him as "Dr. Landry" from now on, I'd probably laugh in his face though.

 

Ted Kaczynski had a PHD, it's more about the person(Character) than the title to me.

 

One of my professors was know as Dr. Bob. Maybe that's no so pretentious as to be intimidating....

 

Fletch,

I take it youve never wasted your life away on a computer ; ) My friend spent about 5 years in that game and had nothing to show for it in the end. The thing is though, to me, they haven't earned that respect, they may have earned that title, but that does not mean that I have to address them by that title. I mean presidents or vice presidents of company have earned that title have they not? thereby they have earned that respect and title so if they prefer to be called Mr. President or Mr. Vice President, we should respect that and address them as such?

You are correct, not everyone who prefers to be called Doctors who have PhDs are not all snooty, to me it's just how they come off as when they insist.

 

Is anyone else amused that in Tapatalk, all of you quotes with DR in it come up as winky faces, lol?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4.

 

Just a difference of opinion. To go through what a professor has gone through to get a doctorate and then land a teaching position at a college, is enough for me to already respect them enough to call them "Dr." I would not give it a second thought if a professor wished to be called "Dr." It would seem natural to me. For the record, I never had a professor make that request. It was just a given. To others, I guess they need further validation to give that respect. I wont pretend to understand why. Just a difference of perspective which is often formed from different life experiences.

 

Military personnel, I would address as their correct rank. I respect them. They've given up something for me.

Someone who went to school for years to become a principal? I can't say I respect that... That's no different than going to school for any other profession.

Good for you. Great for you.

I dont feel that because you went to school for longer, that you deserve for me to "respect" you any more than a person that did not go to college and has a blue collar job working 40-60hr work weeks in a hot, dirty factory.