Werner Cohn on Titles and Other Ornamental Self-Descriptions

Some sixty years ago I wrote a letter to Albert Einstein. I disagreed with a statement he had made that seemed to me too indulgent of the Stalin regime. Within a week I had a reply, assuring me that he, Einstein, fully shared my own views of Stalin. He signed this note “A. Einstein.” No more, no less. Now here is my question to all the self-styled “doctors” and all the self-styled “Ph.D.’s” of our time: would Einstein have been more impressive to me, or to you, dear reader, had he signed “Dr. Einstein” ?

In the course of my travels, I've met a few people with Ph.D's who insist on being called "Doctor." None of them has the skill to remove a wart or turn on a TARDIS, so their use of the title was a sign of either pomposity or insecurity.

Read the rest of Werner Cohn's very insightful piece HERE.