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Pretty much everyone knows the feeling of dealing with people who have no idea what your profession is actually all about. Sometimes it even becomes frustrating to explain the nuances of your job over and over again. But if people will pay attention to this post, many won't have to do it ever again.

Recently, Portland-based icon designer Louie Mantia started a very informative Twitter thread, asking people, "What's something that seems obvious within your profession, but the general public seems to misunderstand?" Many people rushed to debunk the myths surrounding their professions, and their responses are both hilarious and eye-opening.

"I was inspired to ask that question because I too have felt like there are misconceptions about what I do," Mantia told Bored Panda. "Earlier that day, I posted about best practices in app icon design, and was met with a lot of pushback. I realized a lot of others probably feel the same way about their own jobs."

"I remember when I visited Buckingham Palace a few years back, there was an insane amount of people," Mantia added. "The police officers had to continually keep their cool while telling different people to stay in a certain area. They couldn’t get mad at them because every time they had to say it was to a different person." He thinks a lot of people can relate to that. "They might have to repeat something to [their] customer, but that customer doesn’t have the knowledge or experience about the other side that often. They need a short explanation."

Mantia thinks there are many reasons why such misunderstandings are common, but pop culture is the big one. "Hospital shows portray hospital jobs inaccurately. Law shows do the same. And any show that has ever shown someone pounding away at a keyboard has contributed to some incorrect views of hacking or programming," he said. "TV and movies can do a lot of damage in this regard. For example, Lee Unkrich at Pixar noted that voices are recorded before the animation. But because of Mrs. Doubtfire’s opening scene with Robin Williams recording a cartoon character’s voice after the animation was finished, a lot of people now believe that’s the way it’s done."

Continue scrolling to read the responses Mantia has received and upvote your faves! (Facebook cover image: Marina Kuperman Villatoro)

More info: louiemantia.com | Twitter

#2

Nurse

Nurse

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stellermatt
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wait, you're NOT all sexy? well sorry, but saving lives and healing the sick is pretty sexy in my book.

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#3

Librarians

Librarians

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Holl Balls
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do people not go to libraries? Our community library plays a big role in the community.

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#4

Programmer

Programmer

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Dysania
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, thats what my friend keeps telling me: "We are just much better in using google than anyone else."

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#5

Photographer

Photographer

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#6

Environmental Scientist

Environmental Scientist

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#7

Marriage, Family, And Sex Therapist

Marriage, Family, And Sex Therapist

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Lola
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I certainly wouldn’t ask you for marriage advice if you were married 5 times though. Just as I wouldn’t go to a dentist who doesn’t have any teeth.

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Petteri Korhonen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I understand your point but the best dentist I had(now retired) didn't have the best teeth 😊 And the dentist I went after him had perfect white teeth and was really bad at his job 😑

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christineschneider avatar
Beeps
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly. And to Ben Smith: do we expect addiction counsellors to have been addicted themselves to be able to do their jobs? Do therapists working for Rape Crisis have to experience rape in order to do their job? Do therapists need to have experienced depression, OCD, a phobia or an anxiety disorder? Oh, and I’ll let you into a secret: bereavement counsellors aren’t actually allowed to work, if they have had a bereavement within the last 6 months.

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Vicky Zar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many teachers do not have children. Funny that we trust them with ours.

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Charlie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is good to know. I bet tons of people dont know what you do.

mfelice avatar
Mothership
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It has nothing to do with life experience, tier personal life should never come into consideration. It's their education. To make it absurdly and inappropriately simple-do as i say, not as i do. ( with sincere apologies for the analogy)

mastermarkus avatar
Master Markus
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What are sex problems usually about then? (Just out of curiosity)

christineschneider avatar
Beeps
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, they can be about sex, but also often about other things in the relationship dynamic of the couple (resentment induced by emotional abuse, just as an example), or it could be about a completely different aspect in one or both partners’ lives (work stress, depression), it could be due to medication (such as SSRI’s), low self-esteem or loads of other things. It’s different from person to person and couple to couple. But then again, they can of course also be about sex, and quite often when that is the case, it can be because the sex is rubbish. Really can’t generalise though. Hope this helps! :)

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Max L.
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rome wasn't built in a day, but was destroyed in a night.

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Ben Smith
Community Member
5 years ago

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Your marital status doesn't impact your knowledge of... Marriage?? So you know a whole bunch of theories.. Good for you.

erbakan_b avatar
Cat on a bike
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think yes, that's why she has a degree and were able and allowed to open a practice.

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#9

It Consultant

It Consultant

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BlackestDawn
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As my families IT-technician (because I do work in IT) I can relate to this so much.

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#10

Editor

Editor

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marieluise75 avatar
Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a writer I got always a similar question: "Is your editor correcting typos and grammar?" Ehm, no, that is the job of the corrector. The editors job is.. see above

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#12

Dietitian

Dietitian

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Christina Sersif
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This 100000x. Yes cut your carbs, get skinny fast, but as soon as you start back eating them...

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#13

Massage Therapist

Massage Therapist

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erbakan_b avatar
Cat on a bike
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Massagists have unfortunately a bad reputation from all the frauds in this area :(

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#14

Artist

Artist

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sunnyrei82
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could say the same thing about Graphic Designers. People want amazing logos, corporate image, websites, campaigns and all.... but they don't want to pay for it, because.. "their niece could do better in powerpoint".

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#16

Clinical Social Worker

Clinical Social Worker

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Kimberly
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes yes yes!!! I was going to add this if it wasn't here!! I'm a medical social worker. I work in a hospital and some patients have a terrified look when I say I'm a social worker. I work for a hospital not child protective services. It blows my mind that the general public has no idea how many different kinds of social workers there actually are.

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#17

High School Teacher

High School Teacher

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marieluise75 avatar
Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is true (go, Jay, go!) - but is it eye-opening? I thought that was common knowledge.

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#18

Bartender

Bartender

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Bear Trapp
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, but some people don't like the alcohol they do get to be so diluted.

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#19

Cell Biologist

Cell Biologist

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#22

Interpreter

Interpreter

language_news Report

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Random Panda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One things that annoys me so much is when people translate idioms from one language by just directly translating the words. That's not how it works. You need to find the closest meaning of the idiom itself, not the words it contains.

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#23

Intern

Intern

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Jana Renner
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am tutoring an intern right now and make sure SHE benefits from this work experience. Coworkers who tried to give her their work to do would soon learn that they have to go through me...so this was nipped in the bud.

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#27

Pharmacist

Pharmacist

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Grumble O'Pug
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry Debbie, you kind of do. I was in pharma sales and guess what? unless you are not in a drug store or a grocery store, you are mostly paid to double check what under paid pharmacy techs do for you. And guess what? You get paid 6 figures and the Pharmacy Tech gets barely minimum wage. Yet they do the yeoman's work. Sorry. I know I'll get down voted, but you aren't mixing in a compounding pharmacy or working in a hospital, you are a pill counter and a consultant at the checkout window. And telling people on which aisle the cough syrup is at.

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#28

Psychologist

Psychologist

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Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am sorry, but I love that. Did actually really someone ask you if you can read his mind? That's hilarious.

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#29

Creative

Creative

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diz_1 avatar
Laugh Fan
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Working on the client side I found I was frequently presented with ideas I'd seen several times before.

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#30

Veterinary Technician

Veterinary Technician

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Xina Imad
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The problem is the health care system for humans and non humans alike in the USA. I have lived in first world and third world countries. And only in the US are the costs the way they are. Countries with both free public (100% free) and non free private care, the latter is still 90% less than if you do have insurance in the US. For pet care, procedures and minimal routine care is not supposed to break the bank. And don't get me started on dental care. All you need to do is talk to others who have lived in countries that actually provide a standard of health care that is decent. Only in "America" there are horror stories of how unaffordable getting sick is.

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#31

Musician

Musician

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Lizard Queen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Howard Goodall wrote the theme songs for Red Dwarf and every Blackadder series.

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#32

Composer

Composer

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Lars Lasersson
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tell me about it... All the majors I know are actually somewhat grumpy or overly serious people, and a lot of the minors around where I live seem quite jolly...

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#33

Animator

Animator

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Kathy Baylis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Neil, are you an expert animator? Obviously not, as Animation is Art, and to do it well takes time. BitCoin is make believe computer money, only supported by popular demand, which will disappear when the "next big thing" comes along. Quit being an a*s.

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#34

Chemist

Chemist

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Grumble O'Pug
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some are discovered and reinvented through stepwise processes in the lab.

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#35

Teacher

Teacher

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Luna Firemoon
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My moms a teacher/professor and an adjunct (I think that’s the word) and i can tell it’s really hard

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#36

Arborist

Arborist

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Patricia Ross
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't you tell me Dave still has that rickety ladder. I've told him 100 times to get rid of that thing.

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#37

Radiographer

Radiographer

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Helle T
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And for that same reason: No, I don't need a picture from the opposite side.

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#38

Linguist

Linguist

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Neill Powell
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let's also agree, that by definition, English is the most "tainted" language in the Solar system. It is the most-spoken second-langauge by a huuuuuge margin. Germanic-languages aside, English is poorly understood, both grammatically and particularly, in tone by almost every other language. Slang lives outside the grammar and diction, and cannot be used to compare "right or wrong use" of English. The purpose of grammar, diction, and tone, (in any language) it to make sure the thoughts and feelings expressed in your mind, are verbally communicated as close as possible in your words. Less ambiguity, and a closer understanding of what the mind and heart are attempting to express.

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#39

Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer

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XoKMxO
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

aaaand its not easy to be creative all day everyday. Also we don't get paid enough :)

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#40

Civil Engineer

Civil Engineer

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#42

Actor

Actor

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#43

Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist

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#44

Pediatrician

Pediatrician

MAhealthforkids Report

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marieluise75 avatar
Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only idiots could think such nonsense. Everybody who ever had a serious injured or ill kid (or once was one) knows otherwise.

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#45

Local News Reporter

Local News Reporter

DPMCanty Report

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Kathy Baylis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

First off, Balls, you don't know for certain that they work for a local paper---they might be local TV newscasters. Second, I didn't see any grammatical felonies in the statement. Quit being a grammar narc.

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#50

Nonprofit Worker

Nonprofit Worker

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Holl Balls
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sister in law worked for a nonprofit making near nothing for the area, while the Vice President pockets massive amounts and CEO lays low and acts like “oh, I only pay myself 40k a year” but we all know that’s not their only means of money (lives in huge house to say the least).

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#51

Urban Planner

Urban Planner

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Ben Smith
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe if bike riders would actually pay attention to the rules of the road....

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#53

Ux Designer

Ux Designer

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Emma B
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Making it pretty" ain't gonna matter if it doesn't work

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#57

Waitress

Waitress

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marieluise75 avatar
Mimis Nachbarin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tipping is not optional - in the US! In other countries it is. The system is very unfair in the US.

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