Don't you think? If you've spent your life in surveying, as most of us have, you've met a lot of surveyors but I bet you haven't met too many that you really dislike.
I know that, like Stampy the Elephant who once appeared on the Simpsons, some surveyors ARE jerks, but not most of us and definitely not me.:-) I do have the ability to act like a jerk and I usually apologize when I realize it.
Anyway, I think that there may be a correlation between the skill sets, intellect and abilities that are required to be a good surveyor and the capacity to be a good guy. Some of the people I admire the most here have a completely different take on life and politics than I have but it is obvious that they are GOOD GUYS; I can't deny it.
So what about my theory: are surveyors genetically predisposed to be nice? I'm talking about in real life, of course, not on the internet.
Apologetics (from Greek ????????, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (usually religious, political, or pertaining to Land Surveying) through the systematic use of reason.
Early Christian writers (c 120-220) who defended their faith against critics and recommended their faith to outsiders were called apologists.[1]
In modern times, apologists refers to authors, writers, editors or academic journals, and Land Surveyors known for defending the points in arguments, conflicts or positions that receive great popular scrutinies or are minority views.
DDSM
(a nice guy...AKA The Snooty Nanny to the Engineers)
I agree nearly 100 percent. Of course, being surveyors, we know the correct answer is, "It depends."
I was in a room full of licensed surveyors at a state society meeting once when a rude surveyor bellered out for the entire room to hear a very negative opinion towards engineers working in the survey business. Had I been within striking distance, I would have knocked him square on his asterisk within seconds. Nearly everyone else present was embarrassed by his crude comment.
BTW, an asterisk is sometimes known as being a Nathan Hale. As in, "I regret I have but one asterisk for my country."
We have a loud member of our chapter who said very loud (in a Party Chief voice come to think of it), "GIS STANDS FOR GET IT SURVEYED!" at a chapter meeting where our guest was a GIS guy. It kind of annoyed me that he would rudely embarrass our guest like that especially since I was Chapter president but oh well he's another loud mouthed Surveyor (I can be just as bad too, believe it or not).
Dave
Next time you decide to be a loud mouth, let me know, I want to come and watch.
No, I'm talkin real life. I could count on one hand the number of surveyors I've met that I'd give you a plug nickle for as people. And I'm basically talking about as mentors coming up through the ranks. Most were self centered egotistical profit motivated arseholes. I DID learn SOMETHING from most of them, but most of them didn't give a good GD about me other than how much money I could make for them. Maybe that's just capitalism, or the 'nature of the beast', and I really don't care anymore cause I no longer HAVE to care about the subject.
I consider myself as a "good guy" to my clients. And to all the employees I've ever had. But I'm just one individual, and my experience is just that, my experience.
Take care,
Ed
Well, Ed, you just shoot my theory all to hell.
> Well, Ed, you just shoot my theory all to hell.
Well, dang it prior c, I did say my experience was "my" experience.:-)
I do think most folks around here are 'good eggs'... 😉
Take care,
Ed
Ed, I seem to recall that you have brought my Pollyanna back to earth in previous incarnations. Not a bad thing really, you are certainly one of the good ones.
"Good eggs"???????????
I have not heard that saying in a long time.
"Good eggs"???????????
Well we ought to be, after all who else goes around shouting "good" all day long.
> Most were self centered egotistical profit motivated arseholes. I DID learn SOMETHING from most of them, but most of them didn't give a good GD about me other than how much money I could make for them.
I've seen plenty of those type, but many surveyors I know are exceptional people of much higher character. I know a few handfulls or more of LSs and PEs and lawyers and others who I would not hesitate to work WITH again in any capacity because they have earned my trust by trying to be fair with everyone, except perhaps themselves.
It doesn't take 5 min into an interview to see what type of character you are dealing with, no matter which side of the interview you are on. Same goes for potential clients looking for a means to get around the law with your help and influence.
Surveyors are like all other vocations. A mix of good, bad and ugly. I think the percentage of good is a step above the norm.
