What is an engineer? Scott Adams is famous for representing engineering life through Dilbert. His classic description of an engineer is “The Knack.”
“The Knack” got one thing absolutely right. Real life engineers have a “how does it work” curiosity. Most engineers I’ve met really were taking things apart as kids.
As in all stereotypes, the stereotype becomes negative when the rest of person is ignored.
Dilbert is funny! It shows hopeless engineers unable to escape a bad job because of their own inadequacy. While most engineers will agree that Dilbert is not fiction, I’m going to speak sacrilege – Dilbert propagates negative images.
Real life engineers have secret identities as real people. They are creative people who extend their curiosity beyond work into hobbies like cooking, brewing kombucha and beer, restoring old cars, producing music, writing, and art, and racing motorcycles. These hobbies aren’t just technical outlets, they are also social and emotional outlets – a way to balance life. After engineering and computer work I will go home and dig out the hand tools to work on a car with simple tools: no power and maybe not even ratchets. Bob Pease – legendary analog guru balanced his life as a classic Volkswagen enthusiast and trekking in Nepal.
Positive Engineering
National Engineering Week is coming up (Feb 19-25 2017).
According to DiscoverE (Formerly National Engineer’s Week Foundation) Engineering Week is to
- Celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world
- Increase public dialogue about the need for engineers
- Bring engineering to life for kids, educators, and parents
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I’ve found a few sources to help communicate what we do and what we really are:
Engineer Girl (www.engineergirl.org/) – aimed at female students considering engineering degrees, but has good information both on what people don’t know about engineering and on realistic responses to what it is like to be an engineer.
The Creative Engineer (http://www.thecreativeengineer.com/2008/12/16/a-few-engineering-myths/) makes no effort to deny the stereotypes, but presents engineers as people.
“How to Live With an Engineer” teaches people about communicating with someone who has a detail driven mindset and wants to solve all your problems.
Where can I find a really good pocket protector?
Redbubble.com. :).