Goodbye

Interesting. I'm the opposite, the people who insist on being called "Doctor" are the ones I consider to be on a power trip.

A few years ago (inspired by Steve Levicoff), I started to address everyone I encountered by either their first name, or by Mister/Misses/Miss. I got a lot of quizzical and/or dirty looks from physicians/optometrists, but only once was I called on it. When my wife & I were interviewing pediatricians for our twins, we were talking with one physician who started off the conversation by addressing us as Bruce & Lynda. No problem. After that, I addressed her as Jessica, and you would think I peed in her cornflakes.

She informed me in no uncertain terms that she was "Doctor _____", at which time I informed her that she should address me as "Mister". It went downhill from there, and although she seemed like a fine physician, that bit of hubris didn't sit well with me.


Bruce

 

As long as they don't call me late for dinner.

It's all a matter of appropriateness for me. I will always address another as Dr. if referring to him in the third person (such as in a letter), unless I have been told not to. I don't care if people call me "Dr." (in quotes), or Mr. (to make a point that they are disregarding my doctorate), or Quinn .... or Mr. (because they don't give a sheckle what they put in front of my name), or Quinn Tyler Jackson, Ph.D., or whatever, although I do find it very odd when a woman younger than me calls me that in a bank lineup or at the grocery store. (Especially if she's smiling just a little too widely.)

Those who do address others as Dr. as a matter of convention, when listing me (and knowing full well that my degrees are unaccredited), have always also used Dr for me. (And of course I don't mean anyone from the DL forums who's an RA-onlyite. ;-)

There are those here who use the "Mr" game as a posturing move specifically against unaccredited degree holders -- and it is they to whom I was referring in that comment. Mr. Dr. Potato Potato. To use Dr. (without quotes) in those circumstances (i.e. here) would indicate that they "accept" the degrees at par.

Frankly, it's not that I care whether people who play those kinds of posturing games in these forums do ... it's all the same to me ... posturing is a normal human response to a need for stature, I suppose. But I do get my dander up when people say I "claim"... (but I've promised not to "go there" again).

Hakim Quinn

 

Ah yes, Doctor Blank.......appropriately named, I must say.

 

When I was a patrol officer, my sergeant (who has long since retired) said that when he was at church, he would occasionally meet a holier-than-thou person who would introduce themselves as "doctor" so & so. This really irked my sergeant because he felt that when they were at church, humility should be exercised. Subsequently, he would counter their introduction by introducing himself as "sergeant" so & so with the ______ police department.

He said that they always looked like a deer in headlights when he introduced himself as a "sergeant." LOL