Rule 16 - The Professional Engineer
Collections of information get abstracted away into what we call professions.
With great power comes great responsibility. – Uncle Ben
Collections of information get abstracted away into what we call professions. Doctors, lawyers, electricians, engineers, etc. It isn’t possible for each of us to know everything, so we rely on professions. And we rely on professionals to understand that information. Being a professional is about being a trustee of information.
We rely on professionals to grow and to peer review their field of information. So when we visit a professional we get up-to-date and correct advice, without having to know everything about the field.
Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome. – Charlie Munger
Because of the abstraction of information, it becomes easy for professionals to miss-lead or miss-represent their field of information. As a result our motivations and the incentives that drive our behaviours should be examined closely. That just because we can, does not mean we should.
The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching. – John Wooden
As professionals we are trusted with information. And with that trust comes the responsibility to give the correct advice, to the best of knowledge. Keep in mind that your name is everything (The Personal Branding Defence) and that it is a small profession.
Check out The Engineering Rule Book for the other rules.