Engineering is

Taken from a fellow blogger. I like the list and think it does a very good job of describing the field. Especially 3, 4, and 7. 7 being the most frustrating/important one

1.) The science of making the most of the resources available.
2.) The science of making the most of the resources available, with time being the scarcest resource. For the more sincere and "start as soon as you're told to" people, this line means slacking off till the deadline is staring you in the face.
3.) Looking like a nerd (if you're lucky, a genius) to the 'non-engineers', when you try to explain in layman's terms, what your work is.
4.) Failing to find layman's terms for your work. I've had this problem quite a few times.
5.) Failing to make people understand that engineering is actually fun.
6.) Working for people who don't ever seem to understand technical aspects of the job, but absolutely believe that their suggestions (is that commands?) be obeyed. This one is a conclusion I've drawn from Dilbert , so you gotta trust Scott Adams on this one. Fortunately, I have worked under an engineer,and his suggestions sure are worth following.
7.) Constantly thinking up better and/or more economical and/or easier and/or faster ways to do everything. And in the process ending up doing more work than the straight forward approach (but it's a one-time investment if you get it right at first shot).
8.) Coming up with a list of laws/ rules/ conclusions about anything and everything. Does this list come under that category?...I wonder.