To think we should get rid of all titles - Sir, Lord, Ms, Master, Prince etc.

[Ohfuckrucksack]

No more Lords, no more Sirs, no fretting about Ms, Mrs or Miss and definitely get rid of Master, Prince etc.

I listen to the radio with them having to insert the 'Sir' and 'Lord' before people's names as though these titles make them more important people.

Have we not gone beyond honorifics? Most of these people have done very little to deserve their extra titles and some are actively harmful individuals.

I am still pondering on the Dr title for medics - because that is a professional title rather than honorary but wouldn't use it for those with PHDs.

If someone has, for whatever reason, a title, I try to use it. Interestingly, the only Lord (hereditary) I’ve ever met told me to call him by his given name when I used his title. I’ve met a few Judges and have had mixed messages from them; some are OK with their given names outside of court and some like the title to be used all the times which makes my naughty side wonder what their spouses call them in the throes of sexual pleasure…..

Medics are a nightmare because it’s not always clear whether someone is a Dr or a Mr/Ms/Miss/Mrs, because they are a surgeon. The difference between Drs and surgeons’ titles is archaic. I have respect for anyone who studies for a long time to qualify in any profession but when so many medics are encouraged nowadays to ask the patient and partner if it’s OK to call them by their first name but then introduce themselves as Doctor Surname, I have a wry smile to myself. I have a few letters I could put after my name but don’t bother using them and wonder how the Dr would feel if I said I’d like them to address me using them.

I had an appointment with a GP a month or so ago and he introduced himself as Dr Surname and then asked ‘Is it OK to call you’ given name’’, to which I replied yes and we continued with the appointment. At the end when we both stood up I held my hand out for a handshake and said ‘Thank you, it’s ‘his given name’ isn’t it ?’. He looked quite surprised but said yes.

My husband was seen by a consultant clinical oncologist who introduced herself ‘Hello, I’m Caroline, I’m your specialist oncologist and I’ll be looking after you. There’s someone comfortable in her skin and wants to put her patients at ease.

I presume people with any intelligence would assume Dr always means medical and not sure not having titles changes anything for people who thinks equal sexual abuse is a hobby

So i don't actually see why they need to be removed other than people saying I dont like them so if I dont like them they can't happen

I never introduce myself as Dr. I always use my first name. I don’t expect people to call me Dr either. Just like I never expected people to call me Mrs.

The only time I introduce myself as Dr is in formal academic meetings or conferences.

However, if I’m asked for a title or need to have a title on a document or form I will use Dr not Mrs.

Do you read the full, very long lists, that appear in the Times? Or just the names that the media pick out to announce?

Because the vast majority of people getting MBEs are people you will never have heard of. And who are not in the media, arts etc. And who do not have high salaries.

There do seem to be more civil servants and military who get OBEs.

I'm ok with the acedemic ones in a professional setting but don't have much interest in the honoury or bought titles.

Anyone using acedemic title outside of professional situation, it's odd to me.

"Hi, I'm Dr Claire Smith". I just think "relax, there Claire, we are at a party. I don't how your PDH in environmental science contributes much to this conversation, other than a warning to move to the more lighthearted fun side of the room"

In a professional setting "Hi, I'm Dr Claire Smith. Cool, where did you study? What was your PDH specialism? Great conversation starter.

Move to Australia. I can't think of the last time I heard someone use a title apart from in a secondary school (with schools being some sort of weird throw back). Even my sons primary school dropped titles for the teachers and my GP introduces himself as first name when he calls for our appointments. And well if anyone tried introducing themselves as Sir or Lord they'd never live it down.

It certainly always used to be considered very bad form indeed to use a qualification, title or rank to describe yourself.

I think my phone listens to me as this just came up 😆

Yep, it's the same in NZ.

The quakers agree with you - this has been their position for years. No Mr or Miss or anything.

I’m an academic and we’ve all been told that we have to list all our quals in our email signature. I don’t, as I think it’s pointless, so I just put Dr Reporting… However, we are all called by our first names by both staff and students and no-one is ever called Dr Jones or Professor Smith.

Interesting thread OP

I agree with you

Nothing wrong with using academic titles in an academic environment but using a PHD outside of academia? Not on

As for the lord / lady - get rid and no I wouldn’t use it to address anyone.

Though I’ve heard an interesting argument that we should all be saying ‘prince Andrew’ and it reinforces what he represents. Don’t let them pretend he’s not still protected .

Nothing wrong with using academic titles in an academic environment but using a PHD outside of academia? Not on

Why is it no on? Are you saying I should be using Mrs unless I’m physically in work?
By your logic I should only use Mrs when I’m in the presence of my husband. Medical doctors should only use Dr when in a medical setting etc

It’s just my opinion .

Drs in my family don’t use it unless working . Why would they ? How would it be relevant?

Define using it? It’s a title just like Mr, Miss,Ms or Mrs 🤷🏼‍♀️ I use it in the same way I did Miss or Mrs. I don’t insist on being called Dr and don’t introduce myself that way but if I’m asked for a title then I use my title - Dr.

And I’m still not sure why it’s ‘not on’. Almost as though you think we’re doing something wrong.

This is exactly what I do too.

I absolutely hate that women are more defined by their titles than men. The whole Mrs Miss Ms thing is a mess. It’s why I use Dr on written forms. I probably wouldn’t bother using it in non work settings if there was a single name prefix for women like there is for men.

Why on earth would you do away with all other titles but make an exception for medical doctors? Either nobody needs them (I'd be happy enough with this) or everyone else gets to keep theirs too. So odd to decide medics are a special category of person.

I agree completely. I’m ok with keeping Doctor for medics and people with PhDs although I’d personally keep those titles for professional situations.

Lord, Lady, Sir, Prince etc etc etc are all ridiculous. They are pompous, old fashioned and have no place in modern society. The fact the King can ‘give’ titles is particularly awful. All those politicians and businessmen angling for titles. If we have to have a Royal Family then they should actually be separate from government.

If I had a ‘title’ I’d refuse to use it. I think less of people that do.

Medical doctors always say this to me, I usually reply by saying that I'm also the least useful doctor in the room 😂

And I haven't ever met anyone rude enough to tell me that I'm not a real doctor.

I agree with you, OP. I find titles very antiquated.

I know quite a lot of people with titles. People aren't usually precious about them in my experience, with one or two notable exceptions.

I have a lot of contact with one particular Lord - I call him by his first name, which is what he tells everyone to do. I get the sense that he finds the title rather embarrassing to be honest. But I'm always amazed at how deferential others are to him, calling him by his title despite knowing him well. It's odd.

I wouldn't get rid of the honours system altogether, personally, but I would definitely tear it up and start again. I wouldn't be offering gongs to politicians, actors, musicians or sportspeople, but I would like to find better ways of recognising the many unsung heroes doing good stuff in their communities - the carers, the foster parents, the charity volunteers, the community sports coaches, the teachers, nurses and other ordinary workers who go above and beyond. Basically, the people who quietly do stuff behind the scenes to make our society without making a big song and dance of it. I would like an honours system that properly recognises them in some way. And yes, we have that to some extent at the moment, but we could do it so much better.

YANBU. We also need to get rid of the entire "honours" system in the UK. It's madness that people are being made Dames just for being a sports personality of pop singer or actor, even worse for the likes of senior civil servants who automatically get gongs just for doing their jobs. What the hell has Keir Starmer or Ed Davey done to be worthy of being called "Sir". It's utterly ridiculous. No need for any of it, whether the old Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms nonsense or the hereditary titles or the honours system. It's all so antiquated and out of date, it's crazy.

In my business, I don't use any titles when addressing my clients. Never have done for the past 25 years. My clients include several "Drs" (medical or academic), a brigadier, etc - none have ever mentioned it as being an issue. I never write a letter/envelope to "Mrs Smith" or "Ms Smith" or "Mr Smith" either. It's antiquated and irrelevant. But I also make sure than my new client questionnaires/forms etc don't have a "title" box so there's nowhere for a client to put it in - it's all first name>middle names>surname on the forms and in my databases. But I don't even have a male/female box either as it's utterly irrelevant what sex my clients are and I don't want to go down the rabbit hole of gender versus sex etc - as I say, it's irrelevant for the work I do as none of it is dependant on sex/gender.

Brava.

That isn't an issue. Why would it be?

I said I use Dr when I'm asked to provide a title. If I'm not asked then I don't provide it obviously.

Hardly a new idea. George Fox was saying this in the 1660s, and Quakers today generally don’t use titles at all because all human beings have equal value.

I have a hard-earned PhD, but I generally use ‘Loser Winner PhD’, not ‘Dr Winner’, and generally only in writing. In academic circles they know who I am, and no-one else needs to know in order to talk to me.

I’d like to start with getting school children to address teachers by first name instead of Miss/ Mrs / Mr.