In the not-so-distant past, a colleague said, in reference to a promising young PhD student being advised by another colleague (not at our university), "He's just going through the acolyte stage right now."
The context was that this grad student seems to 'worship' his advisor, not in an obsequious way, but in a soaking-up-knowledge-like-a-sponge way, and showing deep appreciation for the research of his advisor, who is quite successful and famous (in the obscure way that one can be famous in a sub-sub-discipline of academia).
In this sense of the term, acolyte is used in a non-religious sense, except that the word worship is commonly used with it. In looking up the word and its various meanings and connotations, I learned that it is also the name of a horror movie that I have no intention of seeing (I hate scary movies).
Is there a difference between calling someone an acolyte (in the academic context) vs. a protégé (which also seems to be the name of a movie) (or protégée)? Protégé can technically just mean 'someone who is advised or mentored', although I think it is more commonly used to imply something closer to the meaning of acolyte in the sense that my colleague used it. (and that's why I don't really like the term protégé.)
My colleague was not using the term to criticize the student in question (he thinks very highly of this person), but he was amused by this student's apparent advisor-worship. He also clearly thinks it is just a phase that some students go through. I somehow missed this stage when I was a student, but I can think of a few of my fellow grad students who could reasonably have been described in this way (including one, mentioned in an ancient post, who even started dressing like our advisor, in turtlenecks and tweed jackets).
I don't think it is overall very common for students to go through an acolyte stage, but it is also not so rare. Agree/disagree?
I also don't think it is necessarily a bad thing (I realize that may seem like an obnoxious statement, speaking as an advisor, as if I wish my students were acolytes, when I most certainly do not wish they were), as long as it is quite brief and evolves into a stage involving more perspective (including the ability to be critical of the advisor's work) and, eventually, acting more like a colleague to the advisor. How brief is brief? A year, maybe two? Agree/disagree?
Do you know any academic acolytes, past or present? Do you think it is a stage, and if so, is it a harmless one that evolves into a more mature perspective, or is it a troubling sign of an inability to be independent and objective?
The context was that this grad student seems to 'worship' his advisor, not in an obsequious way, but in a soaking-up-knowledge-like-a-sponge way, and showing deep appreciation for the research of his advisor, who is quite successful and famous (in the obscure way that one can be famous in a sub-sub-discipline of academia).
In this sense of the term, acolyte is used in a non-religious sense, except that the word worship is commonly used with it. In looking up the word and its various meanings and connotations, I learned that it is also the name of a horror movie that I have no intention of seeing (I hate scary movies).
Is there a difference between calling someone an acolyte (in the academic context) vs. a protégé (which also seems to be the name of a movie) (or protégée)? Protégé can technically just mean 'someone who is advised or mentored', although I think it is more commonly used to imply something closer to the meaning of acolyte in the sense that my colleague used it. (and that's why I don't really like the term protégé.)
My colleague was not using the term to criticize the student in question (he thinks very highly of this person), but he was amused by this student's apparent advisor-worship. He also clearly thinks it is just a phase that some students go through. I somehow missed this stage when I was a student, but I can think of a few of my fellow grad students who could reasonably have been described in this way (including one, mentioned in an ancient post, who even started dressing like our advisor, in turtlenecks and tweed jackets).
I don't think it is overall very common for students to go through an acolyte stage, but it is also not so rare. Agree/disagree?
I also don't think it is necessarily a bad thing (I realize that may seem like an obnoxious statement, speaking as an advisor, as if I wish my students were acolytes, when I most certainly do not wish they were), as long as it is quite brief and evolves into a stage involving more perspective (including the ability to be critical of the advisor's work) and, eventually, acting more like a colleague to the advisor. How brief is brief? A year, maybe two? Agree/disagree?
Do you know any academic acolytes, past or present? Do you think it is a stage, and if so, is it a harmless one that evolves into a more mature perspective, or is it a troubling sign of an inability to be independent and objective?