patronizing menacing folks, & are they really successsful, how, when they are able to leave such a bad impression being so arrogant?
share if you like.
best,
Dushwari
Re: why academia has opinionated...
If you're talking at university level, most Profs actually receive tenures based on the amount of funding they can secure. That is based on the extent of their research and this works out well for people (I am not profiling) who are generally introverted. They may not be highly opinionated or arrogant, but may appear that way...
Obviously, many times they actually are as you describe them since perhaps that kind of attitude is what you would want in a researcher to have when he/she presents his/her findings and is able to make a point...
In essence, what I am trying to say is that at least at University level, the ability to teach comes in secondary from what I understand... That said, there are many people who are exceptional mentors as well as researchers, and may even be very openminded as to hearing out what the other person has to say, but they may not form the majority of the faculty.
Again, it is just my opinion.
Re: why academia has opinionated...
I guess I’ve been lucky to not bump into the breed of academics that you mention Dush… but I have come across ones who seem pretentious and arrogant at least on the outset… with the way they treat those around them… its as if they get sadistic pleasure out of their power trips.
That being said, I don’t think this can be generalized to academia… it happens in the corporate world all the time with cut throat workplace competition and conflict among coworkers etc. – in academia, you can take the same notion of competition to the next level as research professionals are not only competing for funds, grants and recognition internally but also externally against others across the region, nation or the globe.
A lot of teaching professors also develop a deliberate distance with their students in order to mark their turf when it comes to professional matters surrounding administration. I’ve personally experienced situations where friendliness and affability get mistaken for something else and often times students take the kindness for granted.
I suppose it’s the nature of work – dealing with people… working on your own research… competing with peers around the world... affecting and effecting futures of students that makes academics seem a little austere and perhaps authoritarian. I maintain though these traits however are not always accompanied by attributes such as arrogance and conceitedness.