I'm smart, see? If I just sit down and think really hard, I'll derive the right answer.
This works, sometimes. For some people better than others. But, not always for anyone. In engineering (and many other disciplines), we can't predict the future. Sure, we can have very high confidence that a particular thing will work, functionally. However, we can't inherently predict human reaction. Will people like this interface? Will people enjoy this car design? Will people like having the cup holders in the doors? And so on.
There are an amazing number of smart people being held back by wasting time arguing over the unpredictable. At the core of this must be the desire to be right, to say "I called it!". But, getting things right is more likely through trial and iteration and being able to recognize failed attempts quickly (this is at the heart of the agile fail-fast engineering methodology).
Use your smarts. Apply them in areas where they are more reliable. Instead of foreseeing the future, spend your time thinking about how you know that you're right, or at least on the right track.
This works, sometimes. For some people better than others. But, not always for anyone. In engineering (and many other disciplines), we can't predict the future. Sure, we can have very high confidence that a particular thing will work, functionally. However, we can't inherently predict human reaction. Will people like this interface? Will people enjoy this car design? Will people like having the cup holders in the doors? And so on.
There are an amazing number of smart people being held back by wasting time arguing over the unpredictable. At the core of this must be the desire to be right, to say "I called it!". But, getting things right is more likely through trial and iteration and being able to recognize failed attempts quickly (this is at the heart of the agile fail-fast engineering methodology).
Use your smarts. Apply them in areas where they are more reliable. Instead of foreseeing the future, spend your time thinking about how you know that you're right, or at least on the right track.
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