Arguing with an Engineer is a lot like wrestling in the mud with a pig... After a few hours, you realize that he likes it.
The Engineer Personality
Sufficient engineers have substantially the same traits that a stereotype personality has evolved depicting them - they are thought of as intelligent, logical, introverted but with poor communication skills and dress sense.
Is that characterisation justified? Well er, yes - pretty well, since it's not hard to find examples of the 'nerdy' engineer. Naturally there are exceptions, the boundary between different personality types is fluid, but a good engineer is likely to have certain basic traits.
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Engineers are curious and enjoy discovering how things work and solving problems.
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Engineers use logic to examine ideas and develop theories and explanations.
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Engineers like science.
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Engineers are able to concentrate intently on a subject.
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Engineers are perfectionists who are always looking for better ways of doing things.
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Engineers want order and structure at work and in their personal life.
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Engineers enjoy discussion, debate (and arguing), about their topic.
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Engineers appreciate and respect intelligence in others.
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They often have a good sense of humour.
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Engineers commonly want to help solve the world's problems.
But along with these laudable engineer qualities, comes an assortment of characteristics which are less easy to like.
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Engineers can be dogmatic.
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Engineers may be unimaginative outside their own field, (so-called tunnel-vision).
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Engineers are uncomfortable with vagueness and ambiguity.
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Engineers dislike change.
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The engineer's attachment to structure may lead to an authoritarian approach.
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Engineers may focus on theories and be reluctant to consider conflicting data.
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Engineers can be impersonal and reserved and may take little interest in other people.
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Engineers may have poor social skills and be insensitive to the feelings of others. Diplomacy does not come to them naturally.
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Engineers may have little commercial awareness and dislike making decisions in business.
How many Engineering Directors does it take to
change a light bulb?
A: Just one. He holds the light bulb still and expects the world to revolve around him.
Arguing with an Engineer
. . . is a lot like wrestling in the mud with a pig. After a few hours, you realize that he likes it.
