Have you submitted to academic journals before? Reviewer comments are not a list of absolute requirements; they're thoughts and suggestions that help both the

Have you submitted to academic journals before? Reviewer comments are not a list of absolute requirements; they're thoughts and suggestions that help both the authors and editors improve the manuscript. They will include a recommendation for publishing, and they can make that recommendation contingent on particular issues, but that's somewhat unusual. It's not completely clear what's happening in this case, but I'm strongly inclined to think this was a 'minor comment' from a reviewer. The three reviews were helpful and constructive, but these two comments infuriated me. I think the author is simply taking exception that these comments are prevalent attitudes, not that they were significantly contributing to the editorial decision. It's very common to address reviewer comments without actually changing anything. Basically, you say you disagree for reasons X, Y, and Z. The editor can disagree, ask for further clarification from the reviewer, or simply accept the argument. Nothing is set in stone. As for the implication that there are other reviewers waiting in the wings with suitable experience, good luck.