Academia Is A Cult (3 Characteristics)
Academia is a cult.
It's operated as a cult.
It encourages PhDs to become cult members.
It has all 3 of the main characteristics of a cult.
The 3 main characteristics of a cult are the following:
1. Lack of free will
As an academic PhD, you've likely been plagued with feelings of helplessness.
You have been led to believe that you must do a postdoc to advance your career.
You've been brainwashed into thinking that the only way you can be successful is by being a professor.
Anything less is selling out.
You've also been led to believe that you don't have a choice to do anything else.
This is the affect of the cult you are in.
YOU do have a choice.
YOU can still make a decision to take your career into your own hands.
You do NOT need a letter of recommendation from your PI to make this happen.
You do NOT need to publish another paper, or work for free, or consider anyone else in your decision.
You do NOT need to ask anyone's permission.
You do NOT need the approval of a committee.
2. Presence of cheap labor
Can you even remember a time when you felt valued in academia?
Can you remember a time when you felt respected?
Likely, you've started to protect yourself from how disrespected you feel on a daily basis.
Likely, you've started to protect yourself in a shell of arrogance and defensiveness.
You've started to look down on others or you've started to lie to yourself about how little you are paid.
I'm doing noble work!
I'm making a difference!
No you're not.
You're just a cog in the cult.
When did it become natural for you to accept getting paid 72% less than other people your age (Nature)?
When did it become natural for you to get on government assistance?
When did it become natural for you to live in fear of a spending freeze that would shut down your lab or result in your being fired at a moment's notice?
Academia is a system that is sustained by the cheap labor of PhD students and postdocs.
Stop lying to yourself.
Stop lying to others.
The postdoc system in particular is broken and is sustained for one reason and one reason only - to protect a few tenured professors and administrators who are feeding on the fruits of your labor while you get scraps.
3. False security through illogical systems
Academia feels secure.
Isolation feels secure too.
This is how the cult operates, by making you feel secure when in reality, you are living day to day, barely getting by.
Like most academic PhDs, you've likely been told that industry is "the dark side" or research.
You've likely been told that in industry, you can get fired for anything.
You've likely been told that industry is not secure.
In reality, where you are right now - in academia - is the most insecure institution in the world.
Funding is at an all time low.
PhD student and postdoc pay is abysmal.
Sharing outdated and faulty resources, cheap reagents, and 10-year old instruments is the new normal.
Doing multiple postdocs, or "chasing postdocs" is the new normal.
Accepting a contract position or working for free is the new normal.
At best, being labelled as a staff scientist or part-time professor or adjunct professor (special names given to PhDs who agree to be paid very little for full professorship duties), is considered "success".
All of this exists because of the structure the cult provides.
Without this structure, you would be awake to the situation you are in.
But you're not awake.
You're asleep in the system.
You keep doing what you're told and hoping things will get better.
They won't.
Things never get better in a cult.
Further reading:
- Washington Post. Andrew Marzoni. Academia is a Cult.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education. Thomas Benton. Is Graduate School a Cult?
To learn more on transitioning out of the cult of academia and taking your career into your own hands, including instant access to our exclusive training videos, case studies, industry insider documents, transition plan, and private online network, get on the wait list for the Cheeky Scientist Association.
Quantitative Engineer
3 å¹´I have been through the Ph.D. grind to the end. Its not easy; and academia has some issues, no doubt it is far from perfect. But to call it a cult is absurd. On the other hand, my wife recently defended her Ph.D., and just spent an hour on the phone with this group. I happen to have some personal experience with cults and their methods, and after an hour on the phone with this group, there is absolutely no question in my mind that _this_ group has all the signs. The techniques and pressure tactics they use are straight out of any cult work-book. The red flags started going off immediately. So I did some googling, and sure enough, lots of others corroborate my suspicions (e.g. see https://www.reddit.com/r/GradSchool/comments/gj30ul/note_for_phd_job_hunters_cheeky_scientist_is_a/). Yes, you will find lots of people who have joined and sing its praises, but pick any good cult and you will find its members singing it praises. So, be careful, and go in with your eyes wide open. Be prepared for an assault, be prepared for people who look for and then prey on your insecurities - we all have them.
Project Manager of the Applied Water Quality Research group @ SNWA
6 年This is article is the sort of thing that reinforces anti-education notions. Let’s imagine a world without universities. While I don’t doubt that it is possible to have this experience and overly negative view of academia, this is one persons experience not everyone’s experience. I also very much believe that there is no such thing as a true victim here, everyone has some control over their situation and experience. Yes there are some problems in academia that need to be worked out, just as there are in many areas of society and the work force. Academia is not static and there are many who are working to make it better from within. Many who hear critical feedback and make change as a result. Academia is also not isolated and societies value of education and basic research also affect academic institutions. Academia is made up of humans who value education for the most part, not a few intentional evil cult leaders.
Assistant Professor, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and Program Manager, Basic Sciences, Research Shared Facilities at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
6 å¹´Of course, there is some bias in this as you are speaking from the experiences of a basic science researcher. Perhaps a few insights from other PhD programs can be gained. Look to other areas like social sciences. Look to the structural differences in the PhD programs. The difference is in the feeder system on how they are produced, retained, and trained for the future. There maybe some lessons there.
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6 å¹´But if it were a cult there would be charming, charismatic leaders who persuade others to do their bidding against the individual's self interest... Oh, wait..