God, are people so predictable as to fall into 2 categories?! That's a shame...but probably the reason not everyone is a physicist. (feeble attempt at humor...sorry)

The response I get when I tell someone I'm a physicist is often either "Wow, you must be smart" or "I hated physics when I took it."

The fact that you used the term "often" gives me hope that other reactions do exist ("me too, which field are you in?" doesn't count). Imho, finding good replies to these two reactions should be added to the list of most important questions in modern physics. Finding those probably has more impact than knowing the mass of the Higgs-Boson.

 

@Diana: Yes, and it really, really sucks. Depending on my mood and the people asking me I sometimes claim to be an ambulance driver.

 

On topic: Physicists being arrogant towards other sciences/scientists and especially towards students of other sciences pretty much fits my perceptions which are not limited to physicists' behaviour towards them but also physicists' talking with each other about other sciences or people doing other sciences. That's not limited to biology. In fact, people in biology have an advantage over engineers in that they at least are considered nice persons .

"I hated physics when I was young" isn't a conversation stopper, you just talk about the various flaws in the education system which make learning less awesome than it should be for everyone. Or just talk about ice cream, either way there's no reason to stop conversing.

God, are people so predictable as to fall into 2 categories?! That's a shame...but probably the reason not everyone is a physicist. (feeble attempt at humor...sorry)

 

There are two types of people in the world: those that categorize people into two types, and those that don't.

"I hated physics when I was young" isn't a conversation stopper, you just talk about the various flaws in the education system which make learning less awesome than it should be for everyone. Or just talk about ice cream, either way there's no reason to stop conversing.

 

Yes that is very true, and an option I've used.

 

God, are people so predictable as to fall into 2 categories?! That's a shame...but probably the reason not everyone is a physicist. (feeble attempt at humor...sorry)

 

It's 3 categories, the people responding are just 2 of them

 

When people say "wow you must be clever" or the like to me I always respond, "we're all good at something" or "It's something I'm good at" always follwed by "so what do you do?"

 

Another question along these lines I'd like to ask is, have you as a physicist ever been discriminated against because of this (other than the above example)?

I can see how arrogance might be perceived in general conversation with a physicist.

 

Wow. Well might be off-topic but apparently we biologists get a different treatment. When I tell them what I am invariably I get asked something like: " why, my back hurts for several days already, what could it be?" and if I tell them that I am no medical doctor they look at me as if I was dumb. I suppose we biologists are only allowed to appear arrogant when talking to students (or medical doctors....)

There are two types of people in the world: those that categorize people into two types, and those that don't.

lol:D

Wow. Well might be off-topic but apparently we biologists get a different treatment. When I tell them what I am invariably I get asked something like: "

 

Quite, but I get asked what defines reality, and I have to shrug. I think you get those general questions when you're a scientist, and they are general questions and people want a short answer.

 

Unfortunately, it's hard...and there's no short answer to whatever discipline you care to adopt.

My God I was trashed when I wrote that...it's kinda right, but very poorly expressed.

 

Last night wasn't all in vain though, I managed to convince a friend I could stamp on my own face...which is pretty good for a 30 year old, sorry for being hideously off topic.

Quite, but I get asked what defines reality

That's easy.

1) say: "close your eyes"

2) stab eyes lightly with two fingers (avoid serious injury, unless you know how to get away with that)

3)say: "reality is everything you see right now"