# Anyone else notice the arrogance among engineers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 17, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980 "2006-02-17T18:51:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/21 "2006-02-17T19:49:08Z")
I will try to be nicer if you try to be smarter. The Surb, BSEE, Tri-State University, 1996 šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/22 "2006-02-17T19:52:13Z")
I had one of those little engineer hats as a child and Iā€™ve been known to use the word ā€œcabooseā€ when talking about someoneā€™s posterior. Do I qualify? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/23 "2006-02-17T19:52:31Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > A couple what? Neither of those posts demonstrate an ā€œinflated sense of intelligence and rationalityā€, as you so eloquently put it. Other than the mention of being an engieer, they have nothing to do with your OP. Nothing. You know, thatā€™s probably _exactly_ the kind of arrogance **pizzabrat** would expect from an engineer like you. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/24 "2006-02-17T19:53:32Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > A couple what? Neither of those posts demonstrate an ā€œinflated sense of intelligence and rationalityā€, as you so eloquently put it. Other than the mention of being an engieer, they have nothing to do with your OP. Nothing. And what do you think the poster in the first link was trying to imply when she expained her aversion to superflous openings and closings in e-mails with her engineer title? And in the second, you donā€™t think a casual grading of strangersā€™ intellegence, and a matter-of-fact praising of yours and your peers counts as having an inflated ego? ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/25 "2006-02-17T19:56:40Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > And what do you think the poster in the first link was trying to imply when she expained her aversion to superflous openings and closings in e-mails with her engineer title? The engineers are practical types, not eloquent. > [@](#): > > And in the second, you donā€™t think a casual grading of strangersā€™ intellegence, and a matter-of-fact praising of yours and your peers counts as having an inflated ego? No. Iā€™m pretty sure that a group of engineers would be smarter than your average group of people. And a group of PhDs would be smarter than your average group of engineers. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/26 "2006-02-17T20:00:29Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > And what do you think the poster in the first link was trying to imply when she expained her aversion to superflous openings and closings in e-mails with her engineer title? That engineers donā€™t bullshit around when they communicate. They ask/give the information they need in the least amount of time possible. > [@pizzabrat](#): > > And in the second, you donā€™t think a casual grading of strangersā€™ intellegence, and a matter-of-fact praising of yours and your peers counts as having an inflated ego? There is a difference between ego and stating the facts. Engineers, and other hard sciences, have the hardest undergrad degree there is. That is evidence that they have, on average, a higher intelligence than the general population. If you mainly interact with Engineers then yes, you will interact with the higher range of intelligence much more than you do the lower. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/27 "2006-02-17T20:02:14Z")
See, I wrote more than I needed to, and **pizzabrat** beat me to the punch. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/28 "2006-02-17T20:06:12Z")
Iā€™ve alway been impressed by Engineers, those special people that fuse science & craftsmanship. Everything you own of worth & value, or ever will own in our Industrialized society is a product of an Engineerā€™s labor. No, I have no engineering credits. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/29 "2006-02-17T20:15:43Z")
So the consensus is that theyā€™ve earned their right to be arrogant? ---
**Author:** ![Seren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@Seren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seren)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/30 "2006-02-17T20:16:57Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > And what do you think the poster in the first link was trying to imply when she expained her aversion to superflous openings and closings in e-mails with her engineer title? And in the second, you donā€™t think a casual grading of strangersā€™ intellegence, and a matter-of-fact praising of yours and your peers counts as having an inflated ego? Wahoo! Iā€™m in a pit thread! Anyway, I wasnā€™t trying to imply anything. Engineers have no idea how to imply things, aside from actually saying it outright. (Ever tried flirting with one?) And then itā€™s not implication. And you think engineers are arrogant? Have you talked to a pilot lately? šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/31 "2006-02-17T20:18:20Z")
> [@Seren](#): > > And you think engineers are arrogant? Have you talked to a pilot lately? šŸ™‚ Several of us on this board are _both_. What do we win? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/32 "2006-02-17T20:18:51Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > So the consensus is that theyā€™ve earned their right to be arrogant? Yes. And yet, so few of them actually are. Iā€™ve worked with several. Most of them were the nicest guys you ever wanted to meet, in fact. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/33 "2006-02-17T20:21:19Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Yes. And yet, so few of them actually are. Iā€™ve worked with several. Most of them were the nicest guys you ever wanted to meet, in fact. :dubious: Even when theyā€™re on the internet? ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/34 "2006-02-17T20:21:25Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Is this what you think about while flipping burgers to pay off the massive debt you incurrred to get a small-college history degree? > > No pickles on mine, please. I got my shiny history degree fewer than five years ago. I work fewer hours, make more money, and have a more interesting job than any engineer I know. Obviousy YMMV. But engineers donā€™t necessarily drive the most efficient cars. ---
**Author:** ![Seren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@Seren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seren)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/35 "2006-02-17T20:21:42Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Several of us on this board are _both_. What do we win? Robot monkey butlers? Iā€™m just a student pilot. _sniffle_ No robot monkey butler for me yet. An aside: How do you know youā€™re talking to a pilot? (S)heā€™ll tell you. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/36 "2006-02-17T20:23:31Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Is this what you think about while flipping burgers to pay off the massive debt you incurrred to get a small-college history degree? > > No pickles on mine, please. To take the OPā€™s side for a minute, I think this is the exact kind of bullshit attitude that heā€™s talking about. Pickles are good. You arrogant bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/37 "2006-02-17T20:23:43Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7060416&postcount=37) are a [couple](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7113524&postcount=9)ā€¦ Most of the engineers on the Dope are right nice folks, your lame-ass rant and laughable cites notwithstanding. Speaking as strictly a humanities sort of guy. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/38 "2006-02-17T20:26:03Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Speakings as an arts student, I join in solidarity with the OP. šŸ˜‰ Arts student? Can you say ā€œWould you like fries with that?ā€ ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/39 "2006-02-17T20:27:47Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > I work fewer hours, make more money, and have a more interesting job than any engineer I know. ā€œThanks for bringing me into the family business, Dad! Imagine that, right out of college and Iā€™m a VP already.ā€ šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/40 "2006-02-17T20:29:27Z")
> [@Jeeves](#): > > As a mere engineering student, I am not sure where I rank, so I better keep my mouth shut. I do know that I outrank mathematics majors though. šŸ™‚ Math Majors are scary, IMHO. THe only ones who donā€™t outrank math majors and philosphy majors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980.md?page=3)