Is There an Engineering Type: what is your experience?

[spec]

My dad was right handed until age 28 when his right arm was ripped off just below the elbow while working on a running pump.

He had to learn everything over again with his left hand. He was a champion pool (billiards) player right handed, and he taught himself to be a champion pool player LEFT handed and ONE handed. He taught me to play, and taught me to play right handed, left handed, and one handed (right or left). When I was a kid, I was an amusement; adults would line up to get spanked on the pool table by a little kid who could take any shot, anywhere on the table, without a bridge.

My dad is pretty much a badass. He can do anything that anyone else can do, including drag racing a stick shift car. He puts a larger steering wheel on the car and actually reaches his arm thru the wheel to get at the gear shift. As recently as 10yrs ago his left (only) hand was strong enough to crush bones in your hand if he wanted to. He's getting old now and always lifting from one side has taken its toll on his back. His spine is twisted and he's in lots of pain all the time. Price paid for a life of manual labor, doing more work with half his body than usually done by two able bodied men. I've seen him move 55gal drums full of crushed oil filters around with no equipment.

He inspired me to look past limitations and find your inner motivation. He also inspired me not to abuse my body . I'm going to quit smoking.

What an incredible story- your dad is an exceptional man. Do you still stroke the baize? If so, you would make a killer pool hustler

 

[spec]

Well, instead of the above, why not:

Memory is primarily a) visual, b)verbal or c) Kinesthetic (repetition or how one memorizes how to ride a bike).

Hy Keep,

Memory is obviously an important personal attribute and essential for an engineer, but I haven't noticed any particular memory characteristic, good or bad, peculiar to engineers. I would say about average. I probably wouldn't remember my national insurance number or phone number but I would remember, without any trouble, the number of a new part with a super performance: OC72, 2S104, 2N930, uA709, uA741, 7400, Z80 and so on. The latest is, OPA192.

 

[DerStrom8]

Hy Keep,

Memory is obviously an important personal attribute and essential for an engineer, but I haven't noticed any particular memory characteristic, good or bad, peculiar to engineers. I would say about average. I probably wouldn't remember my national insurance number or phone number but I would remember without any trouble, the number of a new part with a super performance: OC72, 2s104, 2N930, uA709, uA741, 7400, Z80 and so on. The latest is OPA192.

I tend to have short term memory loss, but I too tend to be very good with component part numbers.

 

[strantor]

What an incredible story- your dad is an exceptional man. Do you still tickle the baize? If so, you would make a killer pool hustler

No. I did up until my mid 20s. Then I got tired of that scene. Also around that time I got married and had kids. Going and hanging out late nights in bars not so appealing any more.

 

[spec]

Should the list in include heredity? Were your parent(s) engineering types?

Mine weren't. I'm the cliche kid who was always taking apart things and building contraptions that not even my parents understood. I always looked up to my maternal grandfather as the inspiration for "what I am," but now as an adult, able to see above the pedestal that I always put him on, I look back on the things he made and the interests he pursued, and I realize that even he would be confounded by me if he were here.

Yes, you are right. I suspect that heredity plays a big part. There was engineers in both my mother's and father's lines and also engineer types in my relations- cousins etc. My Son is just like me, except software. We get on like a house on fire but we also argue the same way. I used to hold my Dad in awe. He was an aero engines man, but as a hobby he built TVs reel-to-reel tape recorders and speakers and pretty much fixed all the electronic items for miles around. All his work was perfect- he was a smart, tidy person person by nature. But like you, I overtook him in knowledge, which is hardly surprising because electronics was my job and technology moves so fast.

Thanks for the suggestion. I think there is a strong link and I will put heredity in the second list.

spec

 

[granddad]

Don't want to change the list but.....some items of this list could be similar to birth order characteristics, First , second. last, only ... ect

 

[strantor]

Referring to earlier talk about memory:

Appraisal of one's own memory and comparison to other people's memory seems like a nebulous task. Same as with comparing intelligence or "level of emotional experience. "

How does a colorblind person learn that he's colorblind? I think it takes a lot of observation to realize that other people are operating on stimuli that you lack. I wasn't consciously aware that I had an emotional deficit until I got married and it was unavoidable to recognize. At first I thought it was just "the difference between a man and a woman " but after being made conscious of it, I began observing other men and realized that the difference between me and the average man is the difference between an average man and an average woman. Or at least that's what I think. I can't confirm it, same as a colorblind man couldn't quantify to what degree he can't see color and other people can.

I feel that my memory is pretty crappy. Especially for an engineering type. My short term memory especially. I'm scatterbrained; I get up from the couch to get a drink for my daughter, go to the kitchen, don't know why I'm there, and come back to the couch with chips for myself. Then everyone looks at me like I'm an *******. I think this happens to other people too, but not to the extent that it happens to me. Unless they have alzheimers, which I don't think I have. I've always been this way.

My long term memory seems much better. I amazed my mother recently when I drew the floor plan of an apartment we moved out of when I was 18mos old, including placement of all our furniture. But I have significant gaps in my childhood memory, which may be repressed or just not remembered.

Bottom line, I'm not sure, but I strongly suspect that my memory is pretty weak compared to most other people's.

 

[spec]

Don't want to change the list but.....some items of this list could be similar to birth order characteristics, First , second. last, only ... ect

Ok grand,
Perhaps we will have a go at some rationalizing of the updated list some time.
spec

 

[spec]

Referring to earlier talk about memory:

Appraisal of one's own memory and comparison to other people's memory seems like a nebulous task. Same as with comparing intelligence or "level of emotional experience. "

How does a colorblind person learn that he's colorblind? I think it takes a lot of observation to realize that other people are operating on stimuli that you lack. I wasn't consciously aware that I had an emotional deficit until I got married and it was unavoidable to recognize. At first I thought it was just "the difference between a man and a woman " but after being made conscious of it, I began observing other men and realized that the difference between me and the average man is the difference between an average man and an average woman. Or at least that's what I think. I can't confirm it, same as a colorblind man couldn't quantify to what degree he can't see color and other people can.

I feel that my memory is pretty crappy. Especially for an engineering type. My short term memory especially. I'm scatterbrained; I get up from the couch to get a drink for my daughter, go to the kitchen, don't know why I'm there, and come back to the couch with chips for myself. Then everyone looks at me like I'm an *******. I think this happens to other people too, but not to the extent that it happens to me. Unless they have alzheimers, which I don't think I have. I've always been this way.

My long term memory seems much better. I amazed my mother recently when I drew the floor plan of an apartment we moved out of when I was 18mos old, including placement of all our furniture. But I have significant gaps in my childhood memory, which may be repressed or just not remembered.

Bottom line, I'm not sure, but I strongly suspect that my memory is pretty weak compared to most other people's.

strantor,

I can't possibly know, but strongly suspect that you are substantially wrong with the negative views about yourself. Your character, as deduced from your presence on ETO, is at odds with what you say.

Just a few things:
There are simple tests to establish if a person is color blind
Likewise for intelligence.
And about short term memory: unless an image is fixed in your brain you will never remember anything. It could be that on the way to get the drinks that you are thinking about other, more important/interesting things. This happens to everyone from time to time.

I can't comment on the other aspects you have mentioned, because they are more complex. Just to say though that I have dealt with many people and the sort of thing you say is not rare, but in the majority of cases the 'problems' have been sorted, pretty much by a more positive outlook, satisfactory environment and confidence gained from positive experiences.

And why do people form negative views about themselves- the normal trigger is some unhappy experience/situation from the past, often from childhood. This is not aimed at you, but these negative views are a kind of laziness: I can't do this because of so and so and I cant do that because because of another shortcoming. And these things feed on themselves. Why do I think this, because that is what I do.

spec

 

[Mikebits]

How does a colorblind person learn that he's colorblind?

Navy entrance physical Not saying I am color blind, but we were tested for it.

 

[JoeJester]

There is no question about being ambidextrous and whether or not they can change hands and pick up a stroke.

In the Electronic ratings, normal color perception is a requisite. So, everyone was tested.

 

[gophert]

How does a colorblind person learn that he's colorblind?

Most people should have been tested before entering kindergarten. There are many on-line tests. Typically, a number of one color is placed in a circle of another color.

If you don't see 16 in the circle you have one type of color blindness. (Example that everyone should see - the real test circles are below)

 

[spec]

Most people should have been tested before entering kindergarten. There are many on-line tests. Typically, a number of one color is placed in a circle of another color.

If you don't see 16 in the circle you have one type of color blindness. (Example that everyone should see - the real test circles are below)

That's brilliant gophert.

Thks for posting.

spec

PS: my color perception test result was:

'You Successfully Identified
Shapes that are typically
hidden to Protan, Deutan, and
Tritan color deficiencies.'

 

[spec]

I tend to have short term memory loss, but I too tend to be very good with component part numbers.

Hy Matt,
What you have just said is a classic. On the one hand you say you have short term memory loss, and then you say you have good short term memory (for component numbers). This shows that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with your short term memory system. It is just that you are probably pre occupied with things more important/interesting which means that certain things that you are not interested in never form an image in your brain. Consequently there is no way you could remember them.

My mother in law had the worst memory imaginable- or so it seemed. You would say something to her like, 'I will meet you at the post office in town' and she could not remember. In fact, you could tell she was not paying attention when you were speaking to her. Yet, she could recall every minute detail about aunt Jones' daughter who has just run off with a sailor and is now living a life of luxury in the Bahamas.

Chuck

 

[spec]

... and there was that whole thing about left-brained being more logical thinkers and right-brained being more artistic and creative thinkers. Also that the left side of the brain controlled the right side, and the right-side of the brain controlled the left side. I think that was proven false, anyway...

Hy again Matt,
I was rather surprised by what you said about the left brain thing being disproved; I have never heard that before. I remember first reading about the left/right brain and thinking it was extraordinary, but as far as I know, and that is not much, it is a fairly well proven thing both by physical and mental tests/experiments. Seems like a good subject for discussion on this thread though.

This may sound like fairy dust, but I get the distinct feeling that the right side of my brain is dominant.

Chuck

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I know the color blind test is done when I renew/got driver's license.

 

[spec]

I know the color blind test is done when I renew/got driver's license.

That is not the case in the UK Keep
spec

 

[gophert]

I know the color blind test is done when I renew/got driver's license.

"But officer, when I got to the intersection, I saw that the STOP sign was green so I kept going."

 

[DerStrom8]

Hy again Matt,
I was rather surprised by what you said about the left brain thing being disproved; I have never heard that before. I remember first reading about the left/right brain and thinking it was extraordinary, but as far as I know, and that is not much, it is a fairly well proven thing both by physical and mental tests/experiments. Seems like a good subject for discussion on this thread though.

This may sound like fairy dust, but I get the distinct feeling that the right side of my brain is dominant.

Chuck

Just a couple of articles:

https://www.livescience.com/39373-left-brain-right-brain-myth.html
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130814190513.htm

 

[strantor]

I see my colorblindness analogy has been picked to the bone by Engineering Types; I shouldn't have expected anything different .

My analogy was more to highlight the trouble in self discovery. It assumes that one has not been subjected to any tests specifically designed to ferret out colorblindness. If you had never been shown those test images , your only clues would be that sometimes you call something the wrong color, and over time you notice more and more that you're always wrong about the color. You have to accept that you really don't understand color or why other people DO. You have to accept that everyone else is getting more info than you are. And the most unsatisfying part of it is that you know that whatever it is you're missing, you'll never get to know exactly what it is; since color can't be shown to you, you can never truly understand what it is.

Same with emotion, memory, intelligence, etc.

Idiots are probably self aware in many cases. Life has proven to them repeatedly that their ideas are typically stupid, and other people consistently make better decisions and reach logical conclusions faster than them. But they could never really appreciate what they are missing since they never experienced it. They are probably self aware but blissfully ignorant.

There are tests for colorblindness, intelligence, probably some for memory, and maybe some for emotions (though I'm not aware of any that seem credible).

So how do you guys come to the conclusion that you have "good" memory or "bad" memory? Have you ever experienced anyone else's memory? Have you ever been tested? I haven't. My conclusion is really just a SWAG, based on my assumptions of how good memory should be based on what I've seen others ability to recollect. But that's a series of worse than apples to oranges comparisons.