<p>"“how often are you going to be yelling, “Hey! Professor X!” across the room?”</p>
<p>Pretty often, but then again, I am in the X-men."</p>
<p>HAHA. x-men reference <3</p>
<p>damn, some of ya’ll got cracked down on in your posts, aha 
<em>whip sound</em></p>
<p>Honestly, I’m with the OP.</p>
<p>I don’t think someone who got a PhD or MD is any more deserving than the rest of the hardworking world of special respect. The social convention that “separates” them and implies they are a cut above the rest by being too high and mighty for Mr. and Ms. like everyone else is frickin’ annoying. This doesn’t just apply to professors, it applies to everyone who insists on being called “Dr.” this or that.</p>
<p>That said, I’m not gonna take that up with a Professor lol. Too much at stake there ;).</p>
<p>The concept is not that they’ve merely worked hard, but achieved something not just anyone can, and thus have demonstrated that they are “a cut above the rest”</p>
<p>I see it more as an issue of common courtesy than an issue of rank. Call people what they wish to be called. Is it really that much of a hassle to add a few syllables and say “professor”?</p>
<p>Out of respect.</p>
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<p>I do those things actually :x</p>
<p>If someone earns themselves a title, there is no reason to be upset for calling them it. People with doctorates put a lot of time and work into earning the right to be called by that title, and it is out of respect that you should call them by it, unless they ask you to do otherwise.</p>
<p>If you respect the person, you should respect their choice to use the title they earned. That’s just how it works.</p>
<p>It’s a matter of tradition, more than anything else. It doesn’t have anything to do with them having more education or being smarter or richer. Some occupations have titles, some don’t. </p>
<p>Some other occupations that traditionally come with titles: Doctors (including everyone from surgeons to chiropractors), Elected officials (from President to town councilor), Ministers and all other religious folks, Judges, Chefs, Police Officers, Everyone in the Military … what else?</p>
<p>With college teachers, the best approach is to say “Professor So and So” or “Dr. So and So” (if they don’t have a PhD, they won’t mind), until they tell you to “Just call me Joe” which a lot will.</p>
<p>It’s just a nice thing to do. And I agree with the people who said to just call them by what they ask you to call them. If they say “Professor _______” then call them that. No harm done.</p>
<p>What a weird thread.</p>
<p>“thus have demonstrated that they are “a cut above the rest””</p>
<p>Disagree.</p>
<p>Not everyone can support a family.
Not everyone can be a kind, genuine person.
Not everyone can invent something.
Not everyone can be a good spouse.
Not everyone can fix cars or build skyscrapers.
Not everyone can publish a book.
Not everyone can be in the Olympics.
Not everyone can paint or play instrument or sing.</p>
<p>The list goes on and on. </p>
<p>There is no reason for a person who has received a PhD to be elevated above the rest with a special title. They have not demonstrated they are a cut above any more than many other people demonstrate they are a cut above every day.</p>
<p>I have less of a problem with “professor”…since that, like titles such as “judge/officer/etc.” is used to convey a sense of authority (often the prof. will call students “Mr.” or “Ms.”). Whether or not a prof should have “authority” over the classroom is another debate, but I don’t think it necessarily shows pompousness or elitism. However, I do get really annoyed with how Mr. or Ms. is suddenly replaced with “Dr.” just because you got an extra degree.</p>
<p>^^ Not everyone can get a PhD either.
I don’t understand why calling your professor “professor” is an issue. I didn’t think anyone would have a problem with it . . .</p>
<p>If you support a family, you get to be called “mommy/daddy”.
If you are a kind person, you get to be called “my good friend”.
If you invent something, you get to be called “innovative”.
If you are a good spouse, you get to be called “honey”.
If you save and invest wisely, you get to have good amounts of money.
If you published a book, you get to be called a published author.
If you’re a lumberjack, you get to be called a “true man”.</p>
<p>The first five of those, I would take in a heartbeat over a title. Even one that that, like a Ph.D, takes ten years of schooling to get.</p>
<p>Does it really matter how the logic in your brain works against it? If it’s a well-established sign of respect, why would you undermine it? These people go out of their way to educate us, just like grade school teachers, when many could very well be doing something else, possibly more profitable. A lot do do it for the money, and a lot don’t, as well. </p>
<p>Does it really benefit anyone to tear apart the present social convention of addressing them as professor? No, maybe your ego, but that’s about it. If every profession had suffixes for said profession, I’d address them as such if they wanted. But the truth it, I think most of society doesn’t really give 2 thoughts to it.</p>
<p>@umc Ah, okay then. The professor thing was boggling my mind. I see your point.</p>