What Type of Engineer?

Many of us have gone through the process of wondering what kind of person we are.  What will we be remembered as?  Do people think of us as tolerant, kind-hearted, or wise?  What about stingy, mean, or insensitive?  I'm not talking about bursts of behavior that we all go through from time to time, but what characteristics truly define each of us as an individual.  I truly hope that when people think of me, they will call to mind mostly good things … I'm sure you do as well.  No one wants to be thought of by mostly bad things.  As human beings, we understand that "perfection" is impossible, except for certain events or benchmarks that we have already defined as perfection, such as bowling a perfect game (a strike in every frame), executing a flawless cheerleading routine (everyone hits their movements correctly at the right times), or painting a landscape with the utmost precision.  A person will never be completely perfect in all things - at all times - but can definitely achieve perfection during many moments of his or her life.

As engineers, we cannot be thought of as perfect because it simply isn't possible to execute every decision with absolute clarity and precision every single moment of our careers.  I would prefer the adjective "attentive" because it defines an ongoing state of being or practice that is achievable through positive thought, steady resolve, and mindful labor.  An engineer must always be attentive to detail in order to properly define how a structure is to be built.  Being attentive in personal and business relationships can relieve stress and build lasting bonds.  To understand how building code provisions apply to an individual project, an engineer must pay attention to the wording and order of the code, carefully consider explanations given in commentaries, and openly discuss issues with colleagues.  We can certainly be attentive yet also miss the mark … many times … but the idea is that we are not satisfied with making mistakes or being stagnant in our learning.  We want to improve and continually do better, even if it's just a little bit at a time.  Setting a goal of "being attentive" is far more achievable than trying to be perfect.  It also sounds like a pretty good way to be remembered.