Living a Good Life: Engineers Balancing their Lives and Profession

956 Words2 Pages

The good life has long been the pursuit of mankind. However, what that pursuit means and how one achieves a good life may be different for each individual. For centuries, scholars have debated the characteristics of a good life, and to some extent, they still do today. For an engineer, living a good life, at both a personal as well as a professional level, could mean any number of different things. An engineer in the pursuit of a good life must, however, find the appropriate balance between living life independently and interdependently. Engineers must reach a level of self-mastery, and move away from living dependent upon the work of others. On the other hand, they must also understand the careful interdependence of their respective social spheres and how they as engineers may impact different societies around the world.
An engineer must achieve a level of independence and self-mastery, both as a person and as a professional, in order to lead a successful and fulfilling life. Independence is not something one achieves overnight, but is a process one strives for in all aspects of life. This process begins at a personal level and requires some inward reflection, because an engineer must be able to manage his own person before he is able to manage a professional career. An independent lifestyle starts with a proactive mental attitude, both at home and at the office. This attitude results in an engineer not merely reacting to the events in his life, but taking an active role in shaping the events around him. A proactive mindset at home will translate to a proactive mindset at work, which will help to prepare an engineer for future unexpected difficulties in his professional career, because it teaches him to examine how his decisio...

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...design and construct our entire world, society has been engineered from the ground up to be an environment where individuals may grow, learn, and seek out their own unique path to the good life.
To live a good life, as a person and as a professional, engineers must find the perfect balance between living and working both independently and proactively, while maintaining interdependent personal and professional relationships. Furthermore, engineers should continuously seek opportunities for them to use their knowledge and expertise in ways that benefit mankind. This balance in an engineer's personal and professional lifestyle grants a level of self-actualization that will propel him to a happy and fulfilling life. Continuous self-improvement, empowering those around you and the giving of yourself to worthy causes are the keys that will help you achieve the good life.

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