Why is it men in say finance/law are usually more masculine than guys in engineering/tech?
— □□ IM □□ (@TellYourSonThis) July 19, 2020
We're having a discussion about this, and we're sure this is true (generally speaking), but we don't know why it is the case.
NOTE: To my brothers in engineering/technology, this article is not meant to be an insult, but rather an analysis of a problem in our field and suggestions for improvement. Clearly there are many manly male engineers, but there are enough on the other side to create a stereotype.
Why is it that engineers are stereotypically unmasculine? I believe there are five interrelated things going on here: little interaction, ego, untrained bodies, noncompetitive, and high focus in other areas. This is not to say that engineers are particularly manly. Certainly there are outliers, and manliness comes in more than one form, but in general this trend seems to be true.
1. Engineering requires much less human interaction than other fields, especially when compared to sales, customer service, or law. This attracts quiet and introverted men. Being quiet and/or introverted on its own is by no means antithetical to manliness/masculinity, but being meek/letting others walk all over you is.
Why is it that engineers are stereotypically unmasculine? I believe there are five interrelated things going on here: little interaction, ego, untrained bodies, noncompetitive, and high focus in other areas. This is not to say that engineers are particularly manly. Certainly there are outliers, and manliness comes in more than one form, but in general this trend seems to be true.
1. Engineering requires much less human interaction than other fields, especially when compared to sales, customer service, or law. This attracts quiet and introverted men. Being quiet and/or introverted on its own is by no means antithetical to manliness/masculinity, but being meek/letting others walk all over you is.
2. Engineers steriotypically have a large ego that prevents them from empathizing with others (not typically thought of as a manly trait, but empathy is important for a well rounded man). This ego also prevents them from looking in the mirror and evaluating themselves in a fair way and thus being able to work on weaknesses. Manliness is the inverse of weakness (which includes, but is not limited to being powerful).
3. Because engineering requires little physical strength and little human interaction (thus requiring the good looks that low body fat and a muscular build provide), it both attracts men who are physically weak and allows engineers to avoid getting stronger. This contributes to number 4.
4. Engineering is not a highly competitive field like firefighting or law. Low testosterone men can get into engineering and excel. This combined with the lack of strength building allows men to remain in this condition.
5. Engineering requires a high intelligence, lots of thinking, high levels of focus. Highly intelligent men tend to think that they don't need brawn because they have brains. They are wrong. Being strong and powerful is important to manliness. People who are good at thinking and focusing tend to be not as good at strength based activities. Since they don't have that natural talent, such activities are less fun, so they do less of them. High focus in one area tends to mean less focus in other areas.
How can this be reversed? Simple really.
1. Dress well
2. Workout (cardio and weights)
3. Eat well
4. Develop people and speaking skills
5. Develop good posture
6. Act like a gentleman
If we are honest, we all want to be powerful, respected, high caliber men, regardless of the field. Don't let Hollywood define manhood or engineering. Be the best you can be.
Thanks for reading,
Rand
P.S. Are you interested in improving your self-talk, getting more discipline in your life, and living a more healthy lifestyle? The 90 Day Self Project will help you achieve all of these goals.
3. Because engineering requires little physical strength and little human interaction (thus requiring the good looks that low body fat and a muscular build provide), it both attracts men who are physically weak and allows engineers to avoid getting stronger. This contributes to number 4.
4. Engineering is not a highly competitive field like firefighting or law. Low testosterone men can get into engineering and excel. This combined with the lack of strength building allows men to remain in this condition.
5. Engineering requires a high intelligence, lots of thinking, high levels of focus. Highly intelligent men tend to think that they don't need brawn because they have brains. They are wrong. Being strong and powerful is important to manliness. People who are good at thinking and focusing tend to be not as good at strength based activities. Since they don't have that natural talent, such activities are less fun, so they do less of them. High focus in one area tends to mean less focus in other areas.
How can this be reversed? Simple really.
1. Dress well
2. Workout (cardio and weights)
3. Eat well
4. Develop people and speaking skills
5. Develop good posture
6. Act like a gentleman
If we are honest, we all want to be powerful, respected, high caliber men, regardless of the field. Don't let Hollywood define manhood or engineering. Be the best you can be.
Thanks for reading,
Rand
P.S. Are you interested in improving your self-talk, getting more discipline in your life, and living a more healthy lifestyle? The 90 Day Self Project will help you achieve all of these goals.