Edward
Bartender
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- London, UK
It is an old custom to use titles like "General" "Captain" "Professor" "Judge" or "President" as a mark of respect even after the holder retires, or goes into another line of work.
A curious example. Mark Twain visited Austria in the 1890s and wrote about a political crisis then unfolding. He noticed that many of the Members of the House of Representatives were addressed as "Herr Professor". He wondered if this was a courtesy title, like "Colonel" in the southern US, but was assured that no, the men actually were professors and had earned their doctorates before going into politics.
Here in the UK, the title of "Doctor" for medical doctors is an honorific: their academic qualifications are actually two bachelor's degrees, neither a PhD (or equivalent). Hence arunning joke which some doctors indulge around academics about it being "nice to meet a real doctor".
Achtung, Minen!
Once upon a time -- obviously way before my time -- having a college education actually meant something. Sadly, in the last thirty or forty years college has proven that it is quite possible to come out of it dumber than when you went in.
Oddly enough, that's a view I only ever hear being advanced by those who did not have the experience of a college education. Like anything else, you get out of it what you put in.