# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/41 "2006-02-17T20:29:55Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Yes. And yet, so few of them actually are. I’ve worked with several. Most of them were the nicest guys you ever wanted to meet, in fact. I am prejudiced in favor of Engineers. I wanted to be one but economics pushed me into the easier and lesser field of Computer Programming. Many of my friends and my Father-In-Law are engineers. A Good engineer is very smart, very knowledgeable and usually has good real world skills as opposed to the handful of Scientist I know. The arrogance is silly but probably deserved. BTW: I remember looking down on English majors not Art majors. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/42 "2006-02-17T20:30:35Z")
> [@Dag Otto](#): > > Of course, I usually associate with smarter people due to my job as an engineer. I don’t see anything arrogant about this. Of course engineers associate with smarter people on the job. _Someone_ has to be there to patiently explain basic math and science to them while they work. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/43 "2006-02-17T20:30:44Z")
No, the consensus is that you haven’t shown that they are arrogant. ---
**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, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/44 "2006-02-17T20:31:53Z")
Notice I said “messageboards” in the OP, not the Dope. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, fine. There are rules against posting links to threads outside of this board. Messageboard hounds would have undoubtably come across the pattern I mentioned in the OP in spades. There was a recent trainwreck based around this issue on a popular forum that could be thought of as a sister site (hint, it’s where the “Jon drinks dog semen” thread in Cafe Society came from). ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/45 "2006-02-17T20:32:52Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > So the consensus is that they’ve earned their right to be arrogant? I think the consensus was that your examples weren’t particularly arrogant. Seriously, though, I’m thinking of changing my user name. What do you all think of **Lord of all I Survey**? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/46 "2006-02-17T20:35:04Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > You know, that’s probably _exactly_ the kind of arrogance **pizzabrat** would expect from an engineer like you. 😉 And I bet we engineers can insult ourselves more effectively than he can. 😃 ---
**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, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/47 "2006-02-17T20:36:34Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > Notice I said “messageboards” in the OP, not the Dope. You also said this– > [@](#): > > Whoops, I meant to search out some links, first, before posting. Hold on… Followed by this– > [@](#): > > Here are a couple… Which oddly enough were from this very message board. How’d that happen? ---
**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, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/48 "2006-02-17T20:38:23Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > I think the consensus was that your examples weren’t particularly arrogant. > > Seriously, though, I’m thinking of changing my user name. What do you all think of **Lord of all I Survey**? so…you’re a civil engineer? ---
**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, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/49 "2006-02-17T20:38:28Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > “Thanks for bringing me into the family business, Dad! Imagine that, right out of college and I’m a VP already.” 🙂 Dude, I wish. I wouldn’t have had to swallow gallons of man-juice to get my job if my dad could have hooked me up. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/50 "2006-02-17T20:40:20Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > No. I’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. And a group of PhD engineers … A big problem with the US today is that people don’t think that intelligence and rationality are things to be proud of. A few years back I was in a meeting defining the characteristics that the search committee for a new principal should be looking for. I mentioned that a desire for academic achievement would be good. They looked at me as if I were crazy, and said, let’s go back to talking about support for discipline and the sports program. ---
**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, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/51 "2006-02-17T20:41:17Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > And I bet we engineers can insult ourselves more effectively than he can. 😃 An engineer is a person that thinks when other people yawn while he’s talking, it’s cause they’re tired. Old, I know. But **Voyager** ’s idea was too good to pass up. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/52 "2006-02-17T20:41:33Z")
> [@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. 🙂 Engineering is where all the drop out computer scientists go, isn’t it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/53 "2006-02-17T20:42:49Z")
My brother’s an engineer. I’ll ask him what he thinks as soon as I can overcome my revulsion toward talking to someone in the, bleh, _applied_ sciences. I have to go wash my hands now for typing that. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/54 "2006-02-17T20:44:55Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > Dude, I wish. I wouldn’t have had to swallow gallons of man-juice to get my job if my dad could have hooked me up. Hey, you said your job was _more_ interesting than engineers’. Nobody seriously thinks swallowing man-juice is more interesting than calculators and drawings. Right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/55 "2006-02-17T20:48:24Z")
> [@Seren](#): > > An engineer is a person that thinks when other people yawn while he’s talking, it’s cause they’re tired. > Old, I know. But **Voyager** ’s idea was too good to pass up. There’s a comedian in the Valley who used to be an IC designer. He uses PowerPoint in his routine. He’s damn funny. ---
**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, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/56 "2006-02-17T20:49:52Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > There’s a comedian in the Valley who used to be an IC designer. He uses PowerPoint in his routine. He’s damn funny. Stop it. You’re scaring me. ---
**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, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/57 "2006-02-17T20:50:50Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Hey, you said your job was _more_ interesting than engineers’. Nobody seriously thinks swallowing man-juice is more interesting than calculators and drawings. Right? 😉 Nah, the man-juice swallowing was to _get_ my job. I should have stuck with it. Work less, make even more. But I thought that playing in Excel and SAS all day would be _interesting_. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/58 "2006-02-17T20:56:05Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Math Majors are scary, IMHO. THe only ones who don’t outrank math majors and philosphy majors. As a mathematics student who formerly formally - but currently casually - studied philosophy, I say: You all go to hell! You all go to hell and you die! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/59 "2006-02-17T21:01:47Z")
> [@Paranoid Randroid](#): > > As a mathematics student who formerly formally - but currently casually - studied philosophy, I say: You all go to hell! You all go to hell and you die! Aristotle, right? ---
**Author:** ![Grelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a5b964/32.png) [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980/60 "2006-02-17T21:02:06Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Math Majors are scary, IMHO. THe only ones who don’t outrank math majors and philosphy majors. I dunno. I’m not terribly impressed by philosophy majors, and this is coming from someone who enjoys philosophy. The core requirements are not especially difficult. The equation changes dramatically at the graduate level, which is intended to separate the bullshit artists from the real deal, and seems to occasionally even work. Graduate philosophy is intensely competitive and challenging, but undergrad? Pssssht. It might be more difficult than a history major, but I must do far more work both inside and outside my field (I’m in the life sciences) to not only graduate, but have enough knowledge to tie everything together. This doesn’t mean that the philosophy majors aren’t smart or anything, but it’s not especially difficult to complete the requirements. Philosophy is a good thing to know, but studying it doesn’t seem wise unless you’re someone who just has to do it. The employment prospects are pretty bad for a philosophy major. I not only love to do what I do (plant and soil sciences & biology), I should have a pretty good chance of getting a job once I’ve graduated. As for engineers (well, engineering students), I know one who is socially hopeless and another who does his homework while stoned. Make what you will of that, I guess. I do know a chemical engineering major who’s pretty normal, though, aside from being an RPG geek. Peoples are people, to some extent, no matter what their expertise. It’s just that engineers and scientists gotta work harder to get a B.S. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-notice-the-arrogance-among-engineers/344980.md?page=4)