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232 sats \ 4 replies \ @denlillaapan 20h \ on: What is definitely NOT a sign of intelligence but people think it is? AskSN
Credentialism, for sure.
I have a degree, I went to university, I am this or that professional. Yeah, but you're also an idiot.
Thankfully, I went to Oxford so I can usually trump/safely diminish whatever credentials they may bring up.
Depends on the credentials. PhD in math/physics/engineering vs basket weaving. There are some very smart people in liberal arts but the credential itself is not predictive.
It's not popular opinion these days but elite universities do get a lot of talent. I work with young doctors from both Stanford and a community training program and the difference in the average intelligence/competence, especially early on in training is quite stark, even between Stanford and where I trained (UC). Saw a similar large gap when I was in the midwest between SLU and WashU students.
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You are correct that elite universities still attract a lot of talent. But we are talking small bubbles. Even medical students are a small minority at elite institutions.
I noticed a similar trend between Yale and UCLA students.
What I noticed immediately was that UCLA administrators were blatantly more political and diversity mandates were more stark and rigid
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Among the phd professors I know, none of them go by "Dr."
What I've found is that it's usually those of lesser degrees who insist on being called "Dr.", for whatever reason.
I think it's because the ones who actually know their stuff don't feel the need to rely on credentials. They're comfortable that they can establish everything they believe from the arguments. Thus, touting your credentials is a sign that you don't trust in your ability to establish your own aguments.