The only time I have missed not getting a PhD was when lawyers have me explain to someone who has a PhD what I mean so that they can bring my testimony into an IP case by a more identifiable 'expert'.
That said, there is a particularly annoying type of PhD in the tech world, it is one who assumes that the person they are talking to who doesn't have a PhD, doesn't have that degree because they were incapable of getting it, rather than they simply didn't bother. That is, I suppose, human nature. It is always amusing when I encounter it because I know the person underestimates people.
I don't thing those kind of PhDs really exist in significant numbers, especially in research. "Ya, that guy who just got that breakthrough in machine learning? He only has a master degree" is so common it's already normalized.
I'm not sure I get what you mean? If the specific title of PhD is unrelated to people using their titles as false sources of authorities, then what I said isn't wrong. I guess you could argue that in research many people have PhDs, so whether you have one or not is no longer a big deal.
The average occurrence of that sort of mentality across the population suggests most PhDs would have at least that majority view as being a subset of the larger. There’s also no reason to assume the factors that lead someone to obtain a PhD counter an elitist attitude. If anything, it certainly bolsters the odds through sunk cost and other psychological factors.
Put another way, it’s been my experience that nearly everybody has a view that they’re better than average or different in some positive, unique way. The worlds full of hostie personalities as well.
That said, there is a particularly annoying type of PhD in the tech world, it is one who assumes that the person they are talking to who doesn't have a PhD, doesn't have that degree because they were incapable of getting it, rather than they simply didn't bother. That is, I suppose, human nature. It is always amusing when I encounter it because I know the person underestimates people.