An enquiry placed on question-and-answer website, Quora, asked “What is the best part about being an engineer?” 

A rather poignant answer was received. The best thing about being an engineer is also the worst thing, was the rejoinder.  “Nothing in the world is “magic” anymore.  You understand how the computer works and why that cat video can come up on your screen.  You understand how your air conditioning works, and why buildings are built the way they are. You can marvel at how much time something took, or how interesting that someone chose to design something that way.  But at the same time, you can’t just look back and say ‘Wow, it’s amazing that people can do things like that’.  And you can’t watch anything sciencey on TV without your overactive bullcrap detector going off like mad.”

But all is not lost. Another respondent said that if […] some apocalyptic scenario happens, we’re probably the one indoor profession that is best-prepared to build shelter and tools for survival.

However, another answer was more pragmatic. The best part of being an engineer, said this correspondent, is not being an accountant.