The traits of engineers:
If you wanna know what makes me tick, read this: I don't claim to be the most brilliant engineer, but it's what I've been doing for 25 years, and it starts to bleed over into my personal life - or vice versa - you figure it out.
Social Skills: It's totally unfair to suggest - as many have - that engineers are socially inept. Engineers simply have different objectives when it comes to social interaction. "Normal" people expect to accomplish several unrealistic things from social interaction:- Stimulating and thought-provoking conversation- Important social contacts-A feeling of connectedness with other humansThese goals are irrational and stupid. Engineers realize that making personal contacts is not valuable in their occupation. For them it's not "who you know" that matters, it's "who knows less than you do" that counts. To an engineer, most "normal" people are intellectually indistinguishable from Mexican jumping beans with faces. Feeling "connected" with carbon-based dolts holds all the joy of being handcuffed to a dead zebra - it sounds special, but it can get old fast.In contrast, engineers have rational objectives for social interactions:-Get it over with as soon as possible. -Avoid getting invited to something unpleasant.-Demonstrate mental superiority and mastery of all subjects.The social skill of an engineer must be evaluated on the basis of these rational objectives, not on the basis of bizarre and nonsensical societal standards. Viewed in this light, I think you'll agree that engineers are very effective in their social interactions. It's the "normal" people who are nuts.
Frugality: Engineers are notoriously frugal. This is not because of cheapness or mean spirit; it is simply because spending situation is simply a problem in optimization, that is, "How can I escape this situation while retaining the greatest amount of cash?"
Advice: Engineers are always delighted to share wisdom, even in areas which they have no experience whatsoever. Their logic provides them with inherent insight into any field of expertise. This can be a problem when dealing with the illogical people who believe that knowledge can only be derived through experience.
Ego: Ego-wise, two things are important to engineers: -How smart they are-How many cool devices they ownThe fastest way to get an engineer to solve a problem is to declare that the problem is unsolvable. No engineer can walk away from an unsolvable problem until it's solved. No illness or distraction is sufficient to get the engineer off the case. These types of challenges quickly become personal - a battle between the engineer and the laws of nature. And when they succeed in solving the problem, they will experience an ego rush that is better than sex - and I'm talking about the kind of sex where other people are involved. Not only is it better at the moment, but it lasts for as long as people will listen to the engineer's tale of conquest.
Nothing is more threatening to the engineer that the suggestion that somebody has more technical skill. Normal people sometimes use that knowledge as a lever to extract more work from the engineer. When an engineer says something can't be done (a code phrase that means it's not fun to do), some clever normal people have learned to glance at the engineer with a look of compassion and pity and say something along the lines of "I'll ask Bob to figure it out. He knows how to solve difficult technical problems." At that point it is a good idea for the normal person to not stand between the engineer and the problem. The engineer will set upon the problem like a starved Chihuahua on a pork chop. And in conclusion:Engineer, to his boss: "This is just great... We engineers have old IBM 286 PCs and you have a Sparc workstation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only thing you know how to do is stare at a screen saver."Boss, thinking:"How does that ball keep bouncing?"Engineer:"If anybody needs me I'll be scrolling some text."
Social Skills: It's totally unfair to suggest - as many have - that engineers are socially inept. Engineers simply have different objectives when it comes to social interaction. "Normal" people expect to accomplish several unrealistic things from social interaction:- Stimulating and thought-provoking conversation- Important social contacts-A feeling of connectedness with other humansThese goals are irrational and stupid. Engineers realize that making personal contacts is not valuable in their occupation. For them it's not "who you know" that matters, it's "who knows less than you do" that counts. To an engineer, most "normal" people are intellectually indistinguishable from Mexican jumping beans with faces. Feeling "connected" with carbon-based dolts holds all the joy of being handcuffed to a dead zebra - it sounds special, but it can get old fast.In contrast, engineers have rational objectives for social interactions:-Get it over with as soon as possible. -Avoid getting invited to something unpleasant.-Demonstrate mental superiority and mastery of all subjects.The social skill of an engineer must be evaluated on the basis of these rational objectives, not on the basis of bizarre and nonsensical societal standards. Viewed in this light, I think you'll agree that engineers are very effective in their social interactions. It's the "normal" people who are nuts.
Frugality: Engineers are notoriously frugal. This is not because of cheapness or mean spirit; it is simply because spending situation is simply a problem in optimization, that is, "How can I escape this situation while retaining the greatest amount of cash?"
Advice: Engineers are always delighted to share wisdom, even in areas which they have no experience whatsoever. Their logic provides them with inherent insight into any field of expertise. This can be a problem when dealing with the illogical people who believe that knowledge can only be derived through experience.
Ego: Ego-wise, two things are important to engineers: -How smart they are-How many cool devices they ownThe fastest way to get an engineer to solve a problem is to declare that the problem is unsolvable. No engineer can walk away from an unsolvable problem until it's solved. No illness or distraction is sufficient to get the engineer off the case. These types of challenges quickly become personal - a battle between the engineer and the laws of nature. And when they succeed in solving the problem, they will experience an ego rush that is better than sex - and I'm talking about the kind of sex where other people are involved. Not only is it better at the moment, but it lasts for as long as people will listen to the engineer's tale of conquest.
Nothing is more threatening to the engineer that the suggestion that somebody has more technical skill. Normal people sometimes use that knowledge as a lever to extract more work from the engineer. When an engineer says something can't be done (a code phrase that means it's not fun to do), some clever normal people have learned to glance at the engineer with a look of compassion and pity and say something along the lines of "I'll ask Bob to figure it out. He knows how to solve difficult technical problems." At that point it is a good idea for the normal person to not stand between the engineer and the problem. The engineer will set upon the problem like a starved Chihuahua on a pork chop. And in conclusion:Engineer, to his boss: "This is just great... We engineers have old IBM 286 PCs and you have a Sparc workstation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only thing you know how to do is stare at a screen saver."Boss, thinking:"How does that ball keep bouncing?"Engineer:"If anybody needs me I'll be scrolling some text."
posted by Jeff at 2:01 PM
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