Nothing dismays me more in academia than my colleagues excusing themselves from the world because they have internalized their job as their identity, and exist in a separate domain from everyone else. every time I knock on doors with my union I get someone, sometimes angrily, wondering what any of this has to do with them - they're here to just do science.
@jonny
But how certain are you that they truly have internalised this mantra as opposed to simply using it as a defence against entanglement in the overt struggle? Have you only heard it from people with tenure, or is it rather that people at every level will use the phrase, even those who then quickly leave academia altogether?
Are you really expecting those who want to quietly stay on the good side of the ruling power to say so openly?
It doesn't look very loyal to loudly say "I side with them because they have the power", simply being quiet is better and the "aloof scientists" is a well worn trope to hide behind.
@tobychev
Ya I am aware there is a certain cynicism that surrounds "I want to keep mine." Thats why I call them protective myths, because myths dont take on the ontological status of truth but are stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. I would bet very few people explicitly think "ah yes I love the status quo because it benefits me at the expense of others," but instead construct stories that amount to the same thing. I am aware of how many researchers just say nothing and thats basically exactly what im talking about here.