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I usually have less lumber left over after building a fence.
"Before entering on an understanding, I have meditated for a long time, and have foreseen what might happen. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly, secretly, what I have to say or to do in a circumstance unexpected by other people; it is reflection, it is meditation." - Napoleon I
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My training and experience as an engineer is broadly applicable to problem-solving. I'm the Mr. Fix-It and the Mr. Put-It-Together in my family, although my daughter seems to have acquired the knack (despite a B.S. in Biology).
The best skill I've developed though is my writing ability. Being able to appreciate your audience, organize your thoughts, and then express them is profoundly useful. It's unbelievable at times when I deal with a smart, well-spoken engineer, and then their email reads like a prepubescent kid with dyslexia on Adderall.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I was told in college to never let an employer know how well I write, because they would assign me to tech writing, and I'd never get to design anything. I know that no one hires tech writers anymore, since Microsoft first introduced the concept of never shipping a manual with any product, but back then there was a real danger of being assigned a technical writing role if one had any ability to compose a readable sentence.
Will Rogers never met me.
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Roger Wright wrote: never let an employer know how well I write
That one hit me a few years ago, when they didn't replace the tech writer for the help to go with my application. She was amazingly good at it, too.Roger Wright wrote: no one hires tech writers anymore
We still have a couple technical writers (they sit right behind me). Our products are complex with maintenance and service procedures that can be dozens of steps long.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I think my most valuable skill is spotting patterns, and when they're broken. I've always been able to look at a problem, see how it is meant to work, and identify what needs to be changed to make it work, even as a child. It has been curse many times, and I didn't have a lot of friends growing up, as this is considered to be a bit spooky to some, and being a smartass to others.
Will Rogers never met me.
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Roger Wright wrote: a bit spooky to some, and being a smartass
A bit 'tetched, eh? 
Software Zen: delete this;
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Yep, so it would seem.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I was lucky enough to be raised as bilingual English/French.
I have not used the French much as an adult and street French itself has changed a bit since the 70s - however I still have the accent, can speak a bit and enjoy watching French documentaries/films.
It's been really useful because it's also made it easier for me to pick up and speak other languages as some French phonemes are very different to English phonemes.
Once you get a feel for different phonemes it makes speaking other languages easier - I still cringe a lot at how most English speakers pronounce the word "croissant" 
It's opened up a whole other world to me and I am grateful for having this facility.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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On lighter side...
my first for pay job in US was maintaining "industrial size " sawing machines...
their product was variety of plastic and "natural fiber " 50 pounds or smaller bags..
their byproduct was unbelievable oily fiber mess clogging everything...
I did learn skills and respect of operators for not being too concerned getting
" down to get dirty "...
and since I used screwdriver , instead of hammer , as my "teacher " Ernie ...
I guess my learned life skill is being able to "look things over "
and use the right tool to get the job done.
but sometime Mikey mouse wins...
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Knowing full well that no matter my coding skills there are people with far more knowledge and I can learn from even the junior-est person in the team. Having absolute zero ego about what I can do and ask for help when I don't understand something.
Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf *
Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.
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Being able to laugh at myself.
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I have always seen the beauty in the world around. That gives me perspective and hope in all situations, even when things feel hopeless, if I let my eyes roam around my surroundings, I can find beauty somewhere and it lifts my heart.
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Adapting, improvising, and overcoming obstacles/challenges.
I learned and honed this life skill as a Navy nuc, starting at 17 years old. I found it useful in successfully shifting technologies over the years (nuclear power to industrial controls programming/engineering to writing n-tier software to writing cloud native software today).
Our line of work as software engineers changes over time because the technologies and tools change, and because where we apply them changes, and the needs of our users changes.
The “adapt/improvise/overcome” skill requires a solid base of deductive reasoning. Just solving programming and systems issues or projects with yesterday’s “recipes” is grossly inadequate. Solving software engineering issues and projects for what they uniquely are (as well as what they have in common with other issues and projects) requires the skill set I mentioned.
While my instance of that skillset was learned and matured one way, how you, the reader, either obtained that skillset or can acquire it, may be different.
I see so many developers, when given a new project, or trying to fix a bug in existing code, just reach into their recipe box to see what most closely fits, then try to hammer that round peg in a square hole. The results of that approach are too often mediocre to a flat failure. By applying this skillset, which any developer of at least average intelligence, from any cultural background can acquire with intent and practice, they can figure out any issue or project in a way that results in quality, performance, reliability, and it “just works well”.
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Becoming adaptable to ever changing paradigms in life. It's a life skill to stay patient during times of change, and evolve with the change.
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Patience, persistence, awareness 
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As a computer engineer, I assume every other computer engineer is as competent.
That said, one inherited habit and one acquired, persistence and humility should be deemed essential.
In the pursuit of happiness, life throws many curve balls, so sometimes you have to do what's necessary to outlive a situation. Gotta eat and sleep before you conquer the world.
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Juan Pablo Reyes Altamirano wrote: As a computer engineer, I assume every other computer engineer is as competent.
That's the Dunning Kruger effect[^]
Most people who know about this effect know that is is associated with people who have a bit of knowledge/experience incorrectly thinking that they know a lot, the converse is also part of this effect in that those who know a lot assume that others know/understand a lot on a particular area too.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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GuyThiebaut wrote: That's the Dunning Kruger effect[^]
Most people who know about this effect know that is is associated with people who have a bit of knowledge/experience incorrectly thinking that they know a lot, the converse is also part of this effect in that those who know a lot assume that others know/understand a lot on a particular area too.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is also correlated to scores on IQ tests.
Lack of education, or should I say willful ignorance, seems to be consistently accompanied by audacious arrogance. Some people are convinced they have knowledge and understanding far beyond that of anyone who has earned a doctorate from MIT.
Several of my family members are evangelical Christians. They scoff at education. They believe whatever their church pastor says -- no matter how nonsensical it is -- to be the absolute truth. Any time one of these family members visits a medical doctor, they return home and preach to anyone within hearing distance about how "doctors don't know anything" in addition to all sorts of other verbal lambasting.
They dictate that medical science is the work of the devil, vaccination is a conspiracy, fluoride is poisonous, pharmaceutical companies are sinister, baseless natural "cures" eliminate incurable diseases, and the list goes on...
Each time, I ask these people the same question. Why would you suppose that any person who has studied medicine for 7+ years irrefutably knows nothing? Does medical school unconditionally rob all of its graduates of knowledge in science and medicine? If that's the case, then it must mean that to be a good doctor, one must have completed as little education as possible.
Only the people who are thoroughly indoctrinated by religion and entirely brainwashed by the church believe they are the authority on truth. When the conversation inevitably turns to statements such as "I learned on Youtube", or "The people at church say...", I realize that all hope is lost and I walk away.
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Steve Raw wrote: Lack of education, or should I say willful ignorance, seems to be consistently accompanied by audacious arrogance. Some people are convinced they have knowledge and understanding far beyond that of anyone who has earned a doctorate from MIT.
Studies have demonstrated that lack of education is probably not a factor in that. Magazines of 'Skeptic' and 'Skeptical Inquirer' have published numerous articles of studies that attempt to demonstrate correlations. Those will little education seems somewhat more resistant to wild claims.
As an example affluent educated people also have their own beliefs about vaccines being dangerous.
Steve Raw wrote: Only the people who are thoroughly indoctrinated by religion and entirely brainwashed by the church believe they are the authority on truth
That is a generalization.
There does seem to be some correlation between mystical beliefs of any kind and more acceptance of conspiracy theories. But not necessarily a specific conspiracy theory. Whether that leads to anything else has not been shown.
Steve Raw wrote: Each time, I ask these people the same question.
There are now numerous studies that show that attempting to prove or worse belittle others beliefs not only does not change their view but rather increases their belief.
The best process seems to be to accept their views, which means understanding them, then talking them through to a point where those views provide a contradiction that those people themselves recognize. So you can't just point it out. Rather you must lead them to discover it themselves.
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jschell wrote: That is a generalization.
LOL. Okay, you got me there. Sweeping generalizations are a thought fallacy.
While that statement may not be entirely true, it can't be discounted as false. As for my experience, having grown up attending church and private Christian school, I cannot deny what I have experienced.
jschell wrote: Studies have demonstrated that lack of education is probably not a factor in that. Magazines of 'Skeptic' and 'Skeptical Inquirer' have published numerous articles of studies that attempt to demonstrate correlations. Those will little education seems somewhat more resistant to wild claims.
I've never heard of such studies. I'm not familiar with those magazines. Studies that confirm what I'm saying here provide strong evidence to support my argument. What's the evidence for the counterargument?
jschell wrote: There are now numerous studies that show that attempting to prove or worse belittle others beliefs not only does not change their view but rather increases their belief.
Exactly. But, here's the thing. I'm belittled by them. It's that moral superiority complex that makes them so condescending. I can't argue otherwise.
jschell wrote: The best process seems to be to accept their views, which means understanding them, then talking them through to a point where those views provide a contradiction that those people themselves recognize. So you can't just point it out. Rather you must lead them to discover it themselves.
That may work in many cases. I can't speak for others, but in my family, I've done my best to acknowledge their beliefs and did just as you said. Long ago, I learned how they weaponize religion to gain as much power and control over others as possible. When they have power, they abuse it. Just because someone is Christian, that doesn't necessarily mean they are good people. Some of the most malicious people I've ever known attend church regularly, read their bible, and do an excellent job fooling the world with the facade they create to hide their true nature. Some of my family members serve as excellent examples for this.
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Steve Raw wrote: Some of my family members serve as excellent examples for this.
However my response had nothing to do with family dynamics nor individuals.
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Somehow people talk to me, telling me all sorts of things that are important to them. Maybe because I listen.
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Kindness
Paul Sanders.
If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter - Blaise Pascal.
Some of my best work is in the undo buffer.
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