Why do some people think like this?

I have worked in the electronics industry for over twenty years and in that time my name has never shown on any plaque, nor have I been honored with any award, regardless of anything I may have done to contribute to the advancement of a product.

If you are seeking fame, this is the wrong industry for you (Unless you do something like the USB), in most accounts you will go on unnoticed in this plethora of electronic discovery. At best, your pay will be modest and you will be able to buy your kid the GI. Joe with the Kung Fu grip.

All the while as that space going craft heads out of our solar system, you may be able to say, I helped design the transmitter on that craft.

For myself, I did twenty years of electronics and now want to see what else is out there for me.

Stay thirsty my friends...

Some of it is just basic jealousy.
They are in some way jealous of the apparent fact that you are learning something they are not and wont ever put an effort into themselves. They know that in time your knowledge will likely save you time, money, and effort that they themselves wont when put in the same position some day. You have an advantage over them in some way and they dont like it.

I do a fair amount of custom work in many different fields. It makes me a fair wage and more importantly allows me far more free time than any person who works for an employer.
I know for a fact that it makes some people very jealous and on occasion spiteful towards me because I do not have to work as long and hard as they do in order to get the same or more often better things than they do.

Its easier to discourage potential success in hopes it will continue to give you that feeling of superiority over someone rather than to encourage that person to be better than you as you view them in reference to your own self.

Many people hate seeing the light of success being shined down upon someone else. Especially when its an earned success that they too could have gotten had they only worked for it as well!

Very inspiring tcmtech, at least for me that am still a student and have some kind of big dreams, I read in a circuit theory book "An engineer is an unordinary person that does for one dollar what an ordinary person would do for two", but I don't think any capable engineer (at least) will struggle in that area, even when it would be say a secondary priority as that quote says.

tcmtech said:

I do not have to work as long and hard as they do in order to get the same or more often better things than they do.

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And

Mikebits said:

your pay will be modest and you will be able to buy your kid the GI. Joe with the Kung Fu grip.

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I think that's the least you can expect working in such an important area for the development of a country, state, county or company. I don't talk with experience as you do, that's just waht I think.

Mikebits said:

I have worked in the electronics industry for over twenty years and in that time my name has never shown on any plaque, nor have I been honored with any award, regardless of anything I may have done to contribute to the advancement of a product.

If you are seeking fame, this is the wrong industry for you (Unless you do something like the USB), in most accounts you will go on unnoticed in this plethora of electronic discovery. At best, your pay will be modest and you will be able to buy your kid the GI. Joe with the Kung Fu grip.

All the while as that space going craft heads out of our solar system, you may be able to say, I helped design the transmitter on that craft.

For myself, I did twenty years of electronics and now want to see what else is out there for me.

Stay thirsty my friends...

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I hope the topic of this post didn't imply that I think working or even "hobbying" in this field is a glory filled endeavor. LOL!! On the contrary, at least in my work, it is more like, "OK, good, you fixed that faulty piece of equipment, why haven't you got this other one fixed yet? It's almost lunch time". There is no time for attaboys, and don't count on them getting you far because a 1,000 attaboys=1 "Oh crap".

I was thinking more along the lines of the DIYer who knows how to wire up a wall socket and thinks it makes them an expert with all things electrical. I know, in my experience, whenever I decide I want to pick up a new skill or interest, I go into it fully aware of my ineptitude. It doesn't matter what it is. If I decide to hang wallpaper, I'm going to read up on the do's and don'ts and probably call my mom whose quite good at it

I'm certainly not going to try to build a house or rebuild a classic car without some expert advice, proper planning, reading some how-to books, and probably volunteering to help a friend to pick up pointers and knowledge.

And if I didn't know anything about electronics, I certainly wouldn't try to design an electronic "widget" without at least reading a few web tutorials and building a few kits or something to get my feet wet.

Lawyers are opportunists, they feed on the medical profession because doctors make mistakes which make them easy targets. Lawyers have sued them often enough that they all must carry insurance which mean they now have deep pockets.

In general engineers put more time and work into what they do before it sees the light of day. Engineers often use design and code reviews. Products go through QA testing etc.

A GP doctor visit often feel like wham, bang, and thank you for the money ! More like a trip through a car wash, with a long wait to get in.

It bugs me that I can not walk into a hospital and get a reasonable estimate for services. Last summer I took my wife in for an ultrasound on Her leg and the price quoted to us was half the final total ! That really short circuits any attempt on might make at comparison shopping.

Gosh here I am thinking what doctors do is easy. I don't, so hold on to that hypocrite tag for another day. All the ones I know personally are fine people but I think they are working in a broken system.

venting (sorry)
3v0

3v0 said:

Lawyers are opportunists, they feed on the medical profession because doctors make mistakes which make them easy targets. Lawyers have sued them often enough that they all must carry insurance which mean they now have deep pockets.

In general engineers put more time and work into what they do before it sees the light of day. Engineers often use design and code reviews. Products go through QA testing etc.

A GP doctor visit often feel like wham, bang, and thank you for the money ! More like a trip through a car wash, with a long wait to get in.

It bugs me that I can not walk into a hospital and get a reasonable estimate for services. Last summer I took my wife in for an ultrasound on Her leg and the price quoted to us was half the final total ! That really short circuits any attempt on might make at comparison shopping.

Gosh here I am thinking what doctors do is easy. I don't, so hold on to that hypocrite tag for another day. All the ones I know personally are fine people but I think they are working in a broken system.

venting (sorry)
3v0

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Man, you are saying a mouth full.

I have noticed the bedside manner so to speak of doctors has changed a lot in the past 15, 20 years. I remember when I was a teenager going to a doctor and while the wait was sometimes long, I at least felt like a genuine patient and the physician would thoroughly look me over and ask questions. My GP as a kid even knew me by name when I visited...(I know this because I go by my middle name but documents and forms always have my first). He would even recognize me out in public.

Today, it seems like GPs have one hand on the door knob when they walk into the examining room, and patients are nothing more than moving ducks on a conveyor target.

It is the system to be sure. It is insurance companies and lawyers taking the "care" out of medical care.

I hope the topic of this post didn't imply that I think working or even "hobbying" in this field is a glory filled endeavor. LOL!! On the contrary, at least in my work, it is more like, "OK, good, you fixed that faulty piece of equipment, why haven't you got this other one fixed yet? It's almost lunch time". There is no time for attaboys, and don't count on them getting you far because a 1,000 attaboys=1 "Oh crap".

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Sorry, did not mean to diverge the topic of this post, but my mind is bent and tangents do happen.

The way I heard it was. It takes a 100 atta-boys to get a gold star and one aw-crap erased all atta-boys

My father, a statistician, shows how we should admire anyone's expertise. Like when a lorry driver maneuvers a narrow bend, he does oh so skilfully that my father had to gave him a thumbs up for his steering skills.

I do sometimes feel inferior to electronics guys coz I'm more into electromechanical systems, but at the end of the day I do know how much skills and the eeny weeny parts which needs tweaking which renders the mechanical system running proper. I'm concentrating on my electronics to run at par with those guys here.

A person's reach should exceed their grasp. That is why I joined this fourm. I am reaching, bear with me, okay? It's not like I haven't read a book or two, it is just that textbook knowledge needs a good lab session to sink in.

When a man really step into field , he will find there are a lot of difficuties waiting for him.

tcmtech said:

Some of it is just basic jealousy.
They are in some way jealous of the apparent fact that you are learning something they are not and wont ever put an effort into themselves. They know that in time your knowledge will likely save you time, money, and effort that they themselves wont when put in the same position some day. You have an advantage over them in some way and they dont like it.

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No, I truly don't think jealousy is a determining factor. Many folks just don't understand the abstract field of electronics... sort of the same thing as atomic theororists..... they are fringe-thinking people. People can place their hands on 2x4s and build a tool shed. They can pick up a wrench and screwdriver and install a car stereo system. They can watch a welder cut and weld steel into something useful. The point I make here is even though electronic components are items you can physically see and touch and assemble into something like a radio or computer, the how and why that makes them work is a mystery to them. It's nerd stuff to them and little glory behind it. The mass public relates well to things like houses, cars, bikes, lawnmowers, furniture.... even though much of it today has been interfaced with electronics. I agree with Einstein's statement posted above ..... quite true.

sinrace said:

When a man really step into field , he will find there are a lot of difficuties waiting for him.

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Especially fields in certain middle eastern countries that are dotted with land mines!

HiTech said:

It's nerd stuff to them and little glory behind it. The mass public relates well to things like houses, cars, bikes, lawnmowers, furniture.... even though much of it today has been interfaced with electronics. I agree with Einstein's statement posted above ..... quite true.

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I've witnessed that if you don't know a tiny little thing about something that mass public is well related to, then you may be called ignorant. Acting like everyone is forced to know simple things to mass public but is a sin to be interested or looking for knowledge in such a deep field like electronics.

In a way that still comes down to the ability to give ones self a reason to feel superior to someone else.

If I know something thats useful that you dont know that in a way alone makes you feel sort of inferior to me consciously or not. Or at least most people are trained to think that way its seems.

Much of our society has been mentally conditioned to just do what everyone else does and to reject or look down upon those who chose to do different. Individualism upsets the heard mentality aspect on many levels. (especially if the heard isn't too bright to start out with)

If you can do something that most others cant they either wont believe you or will argue their reasons why you cant be doing what ever it is your doing because from their perspective they think its impossible or very unlikely that you actually can.

If they fail to succeed in giving you reasons enough that its impossible because you held up a good enough argument that you in fact did prove to them it is possible and actually not that hard to learn to do, you have given too solid of argument for them to be able to deny that you know more than them on that subject, some will then resort to simply doing their best to discourage you by telling you that what your doing is wrong or illegal or unsafe or what ever possible thing they can to justify you not continuing to do it any way.

Even if you do provide an outstanding argument that proves you have met all of those counter arguments and requirements and prove you have extensive knowledge of the subject, that greatly out weighs theirs and that you are in fact superior to them in that field, a few will just decide to do their best to undermine and discredit your ideas and knowledge out of pure spite.

Basically some are just mean, nasty, and small minded people who find it easier to bring everyone down to their level rather than put forth an effort to climb up to someone else's.

It partly why so many sports stars and professional athletes are looked so favorably upon. When they speak they can make even the dumbest of persons feel a little smarter sometimes!

You know electronics and thats seen as a smarter persons hobby. The sports guy plays with a ball.
Who do you think most people can feel superior too?

I thought that behavior was only or more commonly found in teenagers, young adults and inmature more grown ups. Sometimes when the case is not to don't know something what most people or mass public knows but as you said individalism, being different is some kind of offense for that people, is like is their job to bring you down to their way of life, think, act, talk and things to be interested in, they have to accomplish that no matter how, it can be sometimes unbelievable in some way, how they change their way of look at you, they way to talk, they words with the only goal of getting you "back" to that mass.

I also thought that wasn't that common "worldwide", so this way, sharing these experiences we or at least I can se it clearer, and I will understand it better when I find that behavior.

For many being an adult is just being the same self centered, selfish and spoiled child they where when they grew up but now with far more resources and power to back up his or her wants and actions.

Most people do grow up to be good and reasonable adults with mature enough self control to be able to think and understand things for them selves. But unfortunately there are still enough who just dont ever make it to that level of maturity.

Some cultures and even sub cultures within them do have a more honorable codes of ethics and actions than most but others are just the opposite as well. Many cultures do in fact hold intelligence and wisdom in high regards. They are just not popular cultures who's actions and views are copied by the masses at this time.

If you look at the stereo types of the typical characters that are associated with a culture there is a reason that they became viewed in that way.
That stereo type character may be an exaggeration of course but still it represents enough of that cultures actions to have gotten created in that image for a reason!

I think there will be a day of final meltdown, our society has reached a point where people can go about their daily lives feeling very supperior in using technology that they do not understand. I think one day there will be few people left that are actually knowledgeable.

I was told at work that I'm sad for knowing that rechargeable batteries have a 3 yr shelf life, ok great so that pillac is quite free to go and buy "pre"knackered batteries !

I'm laughed at for my hobby but as it happens I'm doing something more constructive with my time. I've learnt a lot and done it all on my own.

there are skills in all trades, its easy to underestimate whats involved in a job. QC inspectors are notorious for being "uneccesary" but actually the average worker does not understand just how involved our job is.

I spent many years in Italy in a mostly farming community, there was always something to learn from those "simple" people about everyday life on the land and living efficiently and making the most of whats available

ke5frf said:

Why is it that some people have no respect for or understanding of what it takes to be good or knowledgeable at certain things?

But some people think electronics is no more complicated than roofing a house or laying floor tiles. Sometimes arrogantly so. Seems like some people just think any kind of mechanical work is for baffoons, something a monkey can do.

What is it that makes people so ignorant?

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When you know more about it there is a very heavy body of knowledge required to roof a house. Anyone can lay floor tiles but only a specialist can tell you if its a good job or not . Why do you put these so called trades down .

The point being,you do not understand the depth of knowledge required to roof your house properly with pitch ,eave length ,air flow requirements, material qualities ,access,insulation etc. So why should someone from another field of expertise know such detail about your speciality?

If you really question yourself you will see the insides of others

I think most of the crews roofing houses are clueless about the engineering that goes into a roof. Goods ones can replace the shingles without leaks. People do not want to pay a lot of money for this sort of work. So there is little or no engineering background.

The good ceramic tile people I have watched are artists rather then engineers. But most general contractor types can do a good if often uninspired job.

Whit all the respect due to the people who preform this work.
I do not see either of these TRADES as being the equal of electronic engineering.

There are some exceptional people and firms doing some of this work. But you do not got to them to slap new shingles on the roof. Maybe copper or slate.

3v0

"People who think they know everything are particularly aggravating to those of us who do."

My #1 favorite quote in the world.

When it comes right down to it, it's not what you know, but knowing what you don't know that matters. The former can get you into trouble, but the latter can get you out of it.