“Pursuing PhDs can split families; mutual consent from life partner vital before getting started”

 

WHILE the pursuit of knowledge is always encouraged, the desired outcome may not always be according to plan.

A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) by Siti Raudzah Ghazali (@sitiraudzah) ominously warned of the pitfalls for those who pursue doctorate degrees; failure to properly discuss it with stakeholders could rip families apart!

This is surely an invaluable piece of advice given that the poster herself is a PhD holder and a professor in clinical psychology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UMS).

Her post has since been garnered a staggering 2.2 million views and sparked a lively discussion. Below is a sample of what is being said:

Many agreed that the stress of pursuing such advanced qualifications could very well lead to a plethora of issues, including adultery.

Having heard from other academics of the “sacrifices” required to earn a PhD, one netizen asked if it was even worth it.

Some netizens highlighted the importance of having supportive family members to achieve academic success at this level.

With the post and the comments highlighting the difficulty of attaining PhDs, some commented how infuriating it is to read about fake doctorate degrees and those who claim to have multiple doctorate-level qualifications.

While another lamented that many were dismissive of the quality of local PhD holders, not realising the stress and effort they had gone through to gain the scroll.

The many comments certainly highlight the stress and difficulty of completing a degree at this level. Hence the poster is probably right in advising that proper consultation be done with relevant stakeholders, especially spouse and offspring.

A ‘Dr’ or ‘Prof’ title may be prestigious but not at the expense of one’s sanity or family well-being.

To achieve it while keeping a family together is no easy feat, hence one netizen’s comment underlines his deepest respect for those who successfully complete their PhD without succumbing to “permanent head damage”.

- Focus Malaysia