Dispersion Theory.

For those thinking otherwise this is in no way related to Physics( I was never too good at Optics anyway!). The aim is to ponder into my hypothesis that engineers are more prone to being dispersed minds than people in any other profession. The foremost factor is that there is no fixed skill set for an engineer of a particular kind. For the uninitiated this is the way engineering colleges work. Beginning at the curriculum, a Mechanical engineer is expected to be familiar with Civil, a Civil engineer needs to know electronics and all of us have to know computers. At a single call each one of us should be able to write codes, software, create webpages, flash animations and what not. Although a much desired respite from the curriculum requirements, the stress on Overall Personality Development, introduces another plethora of activities on the already bulging schedule. This might include physical activity, quizzing, etc. There is no direct incentive for/enforcement of these extra-curricular activities, but it works through an indirect mechanism called “Peer Pressure”- I do it because everybody else is doing it. The overall outcome-a genre of people who can do everything but know nothing.

It would be unfair to say that other professionals do not participate in some or all of the above activities at some point in their lives, but it is not a compulsion. A researcher in pure science can do research his entire life with his field knowledge and no computer skills at all, same goes for a lawyer or a dentist. Well one might say that a doctor has to stay up to date with new technology, but it is all related to their field of specialization and they can still earn a living without garnering this fresh knowledge. On the other hand an engineer is always on the verge of losing his job at the smallest pretext( Oh, he can’t even write a C code, he can’t work on Microsoft Excel, he doesn’t talk well, he is not presentable, the list is endless). An engineer might proudly confess, “we are the people that get the work done”. Sadly, even this claim is not related to expertise in any specific field.

I know that some of might have a few contentions and accuse me of twisting facts, but well I just “engineered” them a bit to fit my requirements. I did convince myself in the process. Others can take whatever they can digest!