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Why must an engineer not be socially inclined? Must curiosity and social aptitude be mutually exclusive? My experience with developer-type leaders and sales-ty

Why must an engineer not be socially inclined? Must curiosity and social aptitude be mutually exclusive? My experience with developer-type leaders and sales-type leaders really breaks down to this: the developer builds a solid foundation and finds the product-market fit for it, the sales-oriented person projects the future they want others to believe in. One is slightly more logic-based, the other emotional. Some people can do both. That's rare.

freework 14y ago
I've found that theres a certain "turning off your brain" that has to occur to be socially successful. Most technically inclined people have a habit of using their brains a lot. Not that it's totally impossible, but it's hard. I'm a socially awkward technology person. When the moon is aligned properly, I can function fairly normally in social situations, but most of time I over-think too much and come off as weird.
- jessedhillon 14y ago
  "Turning off your brain" is a very condescending way to refer to people with skills you don't possess or understand. (To borrow terminology from "Thinking, Fast and Slow"): In my experience, more socially-inclined people are able to rely easily on System 1 -- whereas the more awkward ("engineer" types) attempt to engage System 2 continually, and thus the experience of talking with them often feels effortful and lacking in "flow." EDIT: A quick primer, from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_sys...) "In the book's first section, Kahneman describes the two different ways the brain forms thoughts: System 1: Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious System 2: Slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious"
  - obstacle1 14y ago
    Without explaining what "System 1" and "System 2" are, this is a pretty useless reply.
    - jessedhillon 14y ago
      I'd consider it a pretty safe bet that most people who frequent HN are at least superficially familiar with the material. This is from the first result for a relevant Google query: In the book's first section, Kahneman describes the two different ways the brain forms thoughts: System 1: Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious System 2: Slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_sys...
  - temac 14y ago
    > Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious "Turning off your brain" sounds like a good summary of that. I don't think one need a particular "skill" to act stereotypically, subconsciously, emotionaly, automatically, at least... If one is inhibited and thinking too much, just give it some wine.

freework 14y ago

I've found that theres a certain "turning off your brain" that has to occur to be socially successful. Most technically inclined people have a habit of using their brains a lot. Not that it's totally impossible, but it's hard. I'm a socially awkward technology person. When the moon is aligned properly, I can function fairly normally in social situations, but most of time I over-think too much and come off as weird.

jessedhillon 14y ago
"Turning off your brain" is a very condescending way to refer to people with skills you don't possess or understand. (To borrow terminology from "Thinking, Fast and Slow"): In my experience, more socially-inclined people are able to rely easily on System 1 -- whereas the more awkward ("engineer" types) attempt to engage System 2 continually, and thus the experience of talking with them often feels effortful and lacking in "flow." EDIT: A quick primer, from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_sys...) "In the book's first section, Kahneman describes the two different ways the brain forms thoughts: System 1: Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious System 2: Slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious"
- obstacle1 14y ago
  Without explaining what "System 1" and "System 2" are, this is a pretty useless reply.
  - jessedhillon 14y ago
    I'd consider it a pretty safe bet that most people who frequent HN are at least superficially familiar with the material. This is from the first result for a relevant Google query: In the book's first section, Kahneman describes the two different ways the brain forms thoughts: System 1: Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious System 2: Slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow#Two_sys...
- temac 14y ago
  > Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious "Turning off your brain" sounds like a good summary of that. I don't think one need a particular "skill" to act stereotypically, subconsciously, emotionaly, automatically, at least... If one is inhibited and thinking too much, just give it some wine.