Pretentious? What say y'all?

Gofirstclass

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,670
Tri Cities, WA
Boat Info
Boatless in WA
Engines
No motor
This is one of those piddly little things that has just stuck in my craw for years. This thread was actually a result of a death notice in today's paper.

So here's what is in my craw. A friend of mine from high school went to college after high school. We all did and all got degrees. He went on to dental school and worked as a dentist.

Now we're all retired and enjoying life. This friend, when he sends out emails, always uses the "DDS" following his signature.

OK, I get it. He was a dentist, but now he's just a retired old bum like the rest of us who went to school together.

Am I wrong to let something like this get to me? What say you? Is that being pretentious or am I just being too sensitive?
 
I am not one for titles so when I see that I think its a tiny bit pretentious ...but on the other hand we are all a bit different so to each his own
 
Last edited:
Meh. I certainly wouldn't let it bother me. When peeps do stuff like that it tells you a couple things about them. First they are proud of their accomplishments and secondly they are probably more self-absorbed than most.
 
For a DDS, appropriate in a professional setting, pretentious in a personal setting.

I have friends who are doctors. They never introduce themselves as Dr. Bill Smith. Just Bill or Bill Smith.

I see this in work environments all the time. The wannabees have some BS credential next to their name in their email signature, but the people with real experience, real credentials, and real status never do.

My only exception: If you have your captains license, have at it. That's way cool.
 
I have my DDS in my email signature in case I am sending professional emails. That way I don't have to remember to add it each time. So my emails to my wife/friends has my degrees/certifications on it, but no one has thought me pretentious. Just efficient. That being said, I can't wait to drop it and retire...in another 12-15 years. I also just type "Mike" in any personal email. The auto signature is down the page a little.

Funny story: I'm a high school girls volleyball coach too. Last night our score keeper kept addressing me as Dr. Murphy. The ref's, other coaches, and my players kept asking who she was talking to since they either know me as Mike, or Coach Murphy :)
 
I think all titles outside of the professional setting are pretentious....I think Dr's these days are less likely to use them because they don't want to be asked questions or be called upon...Though, I esp. like the PhD's that call themselves doctors in social settings. I usually call them by their first name... I don't do it to be rude, but more to be personal and remind about being humble....

But, IMO, a waste of a thread...You're being too sensitive...who cares???
 
Last edited:
I think all titles outside of the professional setting are pretentious....I think Dr's these days are less likely to use them because they don't want to be asked questions are be called upon...Though, I esp. like the PhD's that call themselves doctors in social settings. I usually call them by their first name... I don't do it to be rude, but more to be personal and remind about being humble....

But, IMO, a waste of a thread...You're being too sensitive...who cares???
I agree, kind of a weird thing to post in a boat forum. I think whoever adds a title like that to their email is a douchebag. I am a "PharmD" but I NEVER put that on any email unless its strictly business. Like they said in "The Hangover" movie, "He is not a real doctor, just a dentist. If someone has a heart attack still call 911"
 
Like you said it's "piddly little" thing. He's holding on to his glorious days and looks forward to recognition of his past accomplishments.
What would get my craw is if his boat was bigger.
 
Funny story...A local dentist that graduated from high school a few years before me stopped back at the school several years later and saw his old principal and said hello Mr. Smith. Well Mr. Smith said it's Dr Smith now. So the dentist said well then it's Dr Brown to you then....lol

I work for a company that has contracts with the federal government. A few members on my team have quite a few higher level certs and never added them to our signatures. There is one guy specifically that works directly for the gov't that is very good at his job and has a few entry level certs and has them listed in his sig. A few months ago we found out our company lost the re-bid so one of my team members asked me about adding his higher certs to his signature. After talking about it and debating on whether or not we should apply directly for the gov't jobs we decided to add our highest cert to our sig so both of ours have added it but outside of there I don't use it anywhere.
 
Last edited:
IMG_4230.JPG
Is he still filling cavities?
 
View attachment 76007 Is he still filling cavities?
Only the voids in his stomach.

Piddly thread? Yea, but I said that right off the bat. A waste of your time? I guess that depends on what else you had on your plate. It's hump day so I'd bet most of you working dudes are getting into the downslide toward the weekend.

The retirees like me? Hell, we have a hard enough time remembering what day it is so our schedules are pretty free.
 
I see many retired professionals or military officers including their credentials followed by Retired which I sort of get and can appreciate as expressing their pride of accomplishment. I've got a few credentials I could include but do so only in professional correspondence.
CD
 
This is one of those piddly little things that has just stuck in my craw for years. This thread was actually a result of a death notice in today's paper.

So here's what is in my craw. A friend of mine from high school went to college after high school. We all did and all got degrees. He went on to dental school and worked as a dentist.

Now we're all retired and enjoying life. This friend, when he sends out emails, always uses the "DDS" following his signature.

OK, I get it. He was a dentist, but now he's just a retired old bum like the rest of us who went to school together.

Am I wrong to let something like this get to me? What say you? Is that being pretentious or am I just being too sensitive?
Including it in his signature doesn't bother me one way or the other....now if he insisted on being call Dr. that would be different.

In a similar vein, something that irritates me is the question 'and what do you do'? It seems that is a question I've heard most often from within the boating community. Meet some new folks/boaters, they obviously share an interest in boats, boating, the water, but it isn't long before 'and what do you do'? is asked.
 
I spent 20 years in the military and 14 years as a civilian govt employee. So I am used to seeing Captain so and so or Adm this and that, and on the civilian side a string of credentials. Doesn't phase me. I have a few myself, but heck I'm retired, so unless it is necessary (like when I go to a military function) I never use them. It's just Ike.
 
No offense to the lawyers among us, but I always felt that way about people who insisted on appending "esquire" to their missives. Hell, I'm an accomplished equestrian, but do not feel the need to sign my emails with "horse's ass"......ummm wait....maybe I should.
 
My few doctor friends never use their professional designations in social settings. And we never refer to them as Dr. - unless it’s preceded by get me another beer Dr. Soandso. My daughter is in the medical field - clinical trials / research -and works for a large hospital - designations seem to be the thing in that world and some people make a big deal of it. Personally I don't care - if your a Dr, sure put MD at the end of your signature - if you have your MBA or other masters degree big deal kinda stupid to put that at the end of your signature it's so common. I like the fact that none of my boating friends ever talk shop when we are at the lake, most of them I couldn't tell you what they do for a living, may be Dr's, lawyers, or drive a truck, don't know, don't care - we just enjoy each others company around the boats. My wife always says the more words it takes to explain what you do, the less important your are. It takes about two sentences to tell someone what I do! :)

Bill, nothing at the end of my name.
 
He earned his credentials. Why would his pride in that bother anyone?

I think this issue says more about others who are bothered enough to post on the internet than the good doctor.

If you’ve ever broken a tooth or had severe tooth pain you would appreciate a good dentist regardless of his age.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,950
Messages
1,422,888
Members
60,933
Latest member
juliediane
Back
Top