The Pecking Order

Greg Mankiw links to a quote on the Academic pecking order.

Academic life is very much oriented toward the pecking order, with an incessant focus on ranking individuals, departments, and institutions. Once professors have attained high status within the academic pecking order, they sometimes lose track of the fact that there are other areas of skill and wisdom in society. They cannot understand why they should respect or even be forced to listen to the opinion of anyone who does not share their exalted status. Their contempt applies to professors at less prestigious institutions, and even more so to businessmen and other non-academics.

I've never found this to be a problem with the faculty that I've met; they were (with two exceptions) always very humble, kind, and eager to engage with others.

I've posted this because its important not to forget how little we truly know. As Cowper wrote (and one of my favorite quotes): " Knowledge is proud that he knows so much; wisdom is humble that she knows no more.