PhD: Pretty Huge Deal or Pure Humble Discovery?

Two Monks on a Motorcycle: Corporate Zen Stories

Day 40

When I enrolled into my PhD program, eager to embark on this new intellectual journey, I was greeted by a peculiar yet profound question from my professor: "How many years of education do you possess?" With two master’s degrees under my belt, I confidently responded, "Around 20 years." His reaction—a broad grin—was unexpected, followed by a comment that surprised me further: "Well, that is an absolute white lie."

In those moments, my professor's dark humor served as more than a witty jab. As I confidently tried to justify my academic journey, he interrupted with an amusing yet humbling remark: “We all know we study quite seriously only two months before exams. So, in real terms, your academic effort is closer to three years, not twenty.”

This playful exchange offered a poignant lesson on humility. It reminded me, and continues to remind me, that the years we accumulate in education do not necessarily reflect our true learning or growth. While degrees and qualifications are the markers we celebrate, the process of learning is far more nuanced, often condensed into moments of clarity rather than the sheer passage of time.

My professor then shared another gem of insight, this time reflecting on his own academic career. He confessed that when others admired his academic credentials, particularly his PhD, he often joked, "I still don’t understand what I was taught in school. That’s why I’ve continued my pursuit, hoping that one day I might truly grasp what was taught to me all those years ago."

This statement struck a chord. It exposed the vulnerability hidden behind the veil of intellectual success, demonstrating that true scholars are not the ones who believe they know everything, but rather the ones who understand how little they truly know. The pursuit of a PhD, or any advanced degree, is not about mastery but about the endless quest for understanding.

The lesson here is that academic titles should not be mistaken for the culmination of knowledge. They are, at best, milestones in a lifelong journey of discovery. While the world may perceive them as symbols of expertise, those who bear these titles know that they are often simply markers of how much further there is to go.

In a world obsessed with achievements and credentials, it is easy to get caught up in the illusion that education is a linear progression of accumulating knowledge over time. However, real learning doesn’t adhere to this neat timeline. It happens in bursts, in unexpected moments, in challenges and failures. It occurs when we least expect it—when we’re struggling to understand, rather than when we’re simply trying to pass the next exam.

This perspective is humbling. It teaches us that even as we climb higher on the academic ladder, we must do so with humility. The more we learn, the more we realize how much there is left to uncover. A PhD, or any form of advanced education, should not be worn as a badge of intellectual superiority, but rather as a reminder of the vast expanse of knowledge still unknown.

Ultimately, my professor’s jest about having yet to grasp what was taught in school reveals a deeper truth: the most valuable aspect of education is not the accumulation of facts, but the cultivation of a mindset that remains curious and open, willing to acknowledge one’s limitations. That’s where true wisdom lies—not in the certainty of what we know, but in the recognition of what we still have to learn.

In this sense, academic titles are not endpoints. They are starting points, catalysts for further inquiry. As we celebrate our academic achievements, let us also remember that they should not inflate our egos, but rather remind us of the boundless journey ahead, one that will always be marked more by questions than by answers.