On the Other Side of the Threshold: Reflections on Earning a PhD When Some Are Demonstrably Not Happy for You
Excellence in a World Still Uncomfortable With Your Arrival.
There is a curious silence that follows accomplishment. Not the stillness of satisfaction, but the cool hush of discomfort. It is the kind of silence that speaks volumes—not from strangers, but from people whom you once thought might be proud.
When I completed my dissertation and earned a PhD for my efforts in 2023, I felt the gravity of a long journey completed—not just for myself, but for those who came before me and for those who walk behind. So much so that I remarked to my then Advisor and Mentor, Dr. Fred Travis, that “I no longer feel the Sword of Damocles above my head.” We both laughed. In reflecting on the lengthy journey, I must confess it was a pilgrimage of mind, body, and soul: a journey through complexity, isolation, resistance, and deep revelation. And while many offered congratulations at its conclusion, and others contacted me after viewing the defense video presently hosted on YouTube, I noticed another response too—quieter, colder. The sidelong glances. The unreturned messages. The subtle recalibrations in tone. It became clear: not everyone was pleased.
And that is where this reflection begins.
The Truth Behind the Title
A PhD is often misunderstood. To the world, it may appear as just three letters, a ceremonial cap and gown, and a walk across a stage. But for those who have endured the process, it is far more than academic regalia.
Earning a PhD demands a rare cocktail of curiosity and obsession, self-discipline coupled with self-doubt, endurance and imagination. It is a voluntary confrontation with one's intellectual and emotional limits. According to data from the Council of Graduate Schools, only about 50% of U.S. doctoral students complete their programs within 10 years. Attrition is highest in the early years, as coursework, research demands, family obligations, and financial strain begin to compound.
And yet, for all its challenges, the doctorate remains a marker—not of superiority, but of sustained inquiry. Of devotion to a question. Of belief that the world deserves better answers.
Race and Representation: The Unequal Terrain of Doctoral Study
In the United States, the road to a doctorate is not equally paved. According to the most recent data from the National Science Foundation (NSF), out of all U.S. doctoral degrees awarded in 2023:
White individuals earned 65% of all research doctorates.
Asian individuals earned 12%.
Hispanic or Latino recipients made up around 10%.
Black or African American individuals earned just 6%.
Those comprising more than one race made up 4%.
American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 3%.
The disparities are starker in certain fields like STEM and philosophy, where representation is even more sparse. But the story does not stop at the national level.
Globally, PhD attainment varies widely by country. In nations like Germany, Switzerland, and the UK, the proportion of doctoral holders among adults is higher than in the U.S., but access is often stratified by class and educational pedigree. According to UNESCO data, fewer than 1% of the world’s population holds a PhD.
Let that sink in: fewer than one percent.
So when someone from a historically marginalized background earns a doctorate—particularly in fields not traditionally welcoming of their presence or those fields not previously on their radar of possibility as in my case with Vedic Science—it is not simply personal triumph. It is social commentary. It is spiritual resistance. It is legacy work.
The Shadows Beside the Celebration
Sadly for some, another’s accomplishment becomes a mirror all too revealing. My completion of the dissertation and earning a PhD was neither a judgment of others’ paths, nor a comparison in any way, shape, or form—but still, it clearly stirred discomfort in more than a few. I came to see that discomfort not as a reflection of me, but of the stories they carry:
Stories of dreams deferred.
Stories of internalized limitation.
Stories that mistake someone else's becoming for their own undoing.
Admittedly, it is painful; but it is also instructive. Earning a PhD does not shield one from envy, pettiness, or estrangement. In some cases, it reveals them. Not because the title changes who you are, but because it changes how others see themselves when in your presence.
But, and in all sincerity, I did not earn this degree and its associated title for applause. I earned it to expand my service. To deepen my inquiry. To demonstrate, especially to my children, that it is possible to begin something immense and finish it with integrity.
What PhD Holders Actually Bring to the World
We often overlook the practical and spiritual contributions of those who earn doctorates. Beyond academia, PhD holders are scientists decoding the genome, engineers designing and advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), psychologists refining models of trauma and healing, philosophers illuminating meaning, educators innovating pedagogy, and practitioners translating esoteric wisdom into grounded tools for transformation.
A PhD does not mean one is necessarily smarter. It means one was willing to stay with the question—often longer than comfort allowed. And in some cases, as was my experience, to the point of some family and friends believing the process will never be completed.
In my case, it meant grappling with Consciousness and mystical experience at the intersections of Freemasonry, neuroscience, and Vedic Science. My research was not just theoretical—it was devotional. And for my efforts, a map toward deeper knowing, both ancient and forward-looking, emerged. This map I refer to as The Model for Perpetual Growth and Progress. And as a result of both the model and my postdoctoral contemplations, the Seven Layers of Manifestation framework emerged. Taken together, these two frameworks offer individuals and communities a way to chart a path toward a more conscious and compassionate tomorrow.
PhD holders also play a vital role in shaping policy, preserving culture, advancing medicine, and mentoring future thinkers. Their work—often invisible to the public eye—has ripple effects across generations.
To question the value of a doctorate is to misunderstand what it represents: not just knowledge, but the required transformation one undergoes to steward that knowledge ethically.
A Word to the Detractors
To those who seem unsettled by my duly earned title—who wear their disdain like perfume—I offer neither defensiveness nor bitterness. I offer a mirror. What you see in me that makes you uneasy is not mine to carry. Perhaps it is time you unpack it.
I see you.
I release you.
I return to the work.
Because titles fade. But service endures.
The Invitation
So, what now?
Now, the task is to remain rooted in humility and lit by purpose. To remember that earning the title “Doctor” is not a conclusion—it is an ongoing commitment. A call to continue learning, to lead with compassion, and to dismantle the invisible ceilings others still face.
If my achievement inspires you, I welcome your kinship.
If it challenges you, I invite your introspection.
If it angers you, I trust that too is part of your process.
But I will not apologize for expanding.
This path was never about being celebrated.
It was about being in service.
And now, as Dr. Baruti KMT-Sisouvong, I walk with deeper clarity, steadier breath, and a sharpened sense of why I began this journey in the first place—to be of service.
Let the work continue.
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Dr. Baruti KMT-Sisouvong, along with his wife, Mina, serves as Director of the Transcendental Meditation Program in Cambridge and the larger area of Metropolitan Boston. They are parents to four beautiful children. To learn more about him, visit his website: https://www.barutikmtsisouvong.com/.