Sunday, May 10, 2009

Honorary Friend Degree

I appreciate the recent guest theorists. My hope is that as we continue to post on this blog all the readers will begin developing their own theories to share.

My list of possible theories to post is ever growing. This is how it happens… I watch and think carefully about why people do what they do. I see trends and try to discover the core beliefs that give forth our daily actions.

One of the recent trends I have noticed is what I call Honorary Friend Degree. I thought this was appropriate considering the weekend of graduations in which universities provided people who did no work with honorary education degrees which they didn’t earn, just because of who they are. That is what happens here: Pronunciation of authority and expertise to someone because of who they are (your relationship with them).

Example: My brother recently had a baby. I was in Boone for Christmas as they entered the hospital and my sister-in-law was induced. In the hospital, with doctors and nurses easily accessible my family insisted that I call and ask Lindsay Veazey how long this process usually lasts. Did you get that? Across the state, with certified medical professionals monitoring the baby’s heart beat and giving the mother medicine, my family thought that a (fantastic, lovely, intelligent) resident in Ashville, NC was the best person to ask. Why?

5 comments:

B-Ho said...

I think it's because we feel better when it comes from someone we know - we feel like we can trust it, even if its wrong. I think in cases of real need, people we know give us a better sense of comfort than professionals giving advice. Even if the professional is correct, we still tend to listen to those we know best.

Clayton Greene said...

Is that smart? I know it is comfortable but it's not the best thing to do.

B-Ho said...

No, its not smart. That's my point though - we do it anyway because it makes us feel better.

Kristopher Norris said...

I know I call Lindsay for medical advice because she's one of the smartest people I know - and one of the hottest doctors as well - and because Eddie can't be my doctor because he says he wont do my prostate exams when I get older.

CBF Summer Ministry Interns said...

'cause she's hot.