Dealing with Stupid
Dealing with Stupid
(OP)
We all have to deal with stupidity.
Stupid people.
Stupid specifications.
Stupid bosses, managers, co-workers.
Stupid company policies.
How do you stay sane at work? How do you deal with all of the above?
When a co-workers requests a moronic change to one of your drawings, how do you deal with it? When you disagree with someone, how do you respectfully disagree?
Stupid people.
Stupid specifications.
Stupid bosses, managers, co-workers.
Stupid company policies.
How do you stay sane at work? How do you deal with all of the above?
When a co-workers requests a moronic change to one of your drawings, how do you deal with it? When you disagree with someone, how do you respectfully disagree?





RE: Dealing with Stupid
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Omniscience is a terrible burden.
Charlie
www.facsco.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
If you have one or two, try laughing about it. I always see Mr T saying "I pity the fool..." and then I just shake my head and move on.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Good luck,
Latexman
Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
I believe there are more stupid people these days, but I see more ignorance than stupidity.
Chris
SolidWorks 11
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Dealing with Stupid
and you think the fellow was crazy,
then you want to pay some attention to that.
One of you is likely to be,
and you had better find out which one it is.
It makes an awful lot of difference."
But then posted right above it, I have...
"No matter how great your triumphs
or how tragic your defeats,
approximately one billion Chinese
couldn't care less."
That, and a bunch of 'Dilbert' cartoons, seems to help keep things in persepective...
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
TTFN

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RE: Dealing with Stupid
If the change is good you will not hear another word.
If the change is not good , what you do next is up to you, just make sure you have all your bases covered.
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Maui
www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
"Every technical hierachy, in time, develops a competence inversion."
"Technology is dominated by two types of people:
1) Those who understand what they do not manage.
2) Those who manage what they do not understand."
RE: Dealing with Stupid
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
His main weakness? He thought everyone else was stupid. I had to explain to him that his prior several months worth of work was wasted because he didn't follow the guidelines given to him. In a cube farm, surrounded by highly-experienced engineers who did the original work, this guy proceeds to rant (in a loud voice) how the work done to this point is stupid, only a stupid person would design things this way, etc.
He resigned later that same day when it was obvious to him we were about to walk him out of the door. I guess he did something smart after all.
Lesson? You may think everyone else is stupid, but you don't let them know it. If it's a problem for you, get out, and do so with a smile on your face. Of course, if you keep running into a room full of stupid people, maybe a little introspection of your own abilities is in order.
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Actually, not; had he been walked out, he might have gotten some unemployment, which he probably would have needed.
TTFN

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RE: Dealing with Stupid
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Yet another law that does the exact opposite of what it set out to do.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
- Steve
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
If you are confident you can win the argument in less time than it takes to do the work, go for it, be polite and professional, document it. If you lose the argument or it takes up too much time, realize that your decision was wrong and has wasted even more of your time. Adjust confidence level for future encounters.
If you aren't confident you can win the argument, and there are no negative consequences, do the work per the opinion you don't agree with, be polite and professional, document it.
Then go home, and pick an argument on the internet to hone your skills.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
There's no good reason to acknowledge that publicly, or to phrase it as rudely as that, if you feel the need to express the thought out loud.
You might wish to say something nominally inoffensive or even complimentary while reserving a private meaning for yourself.
For example, my friend Ermi uses "Amazing!" as a general response meaning "Stupid!" or worse.
I find a simple "Wow!" is often misunderstood as something other than a pejorative.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Dealing with Stupid
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Always a pleasure to hear what you all have to say.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Good luck,
Latexman
Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Could you run that by me again?
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Dealing with Stupid
--Forrest Gump
I have to look at that person and work really hard until I realize that we're both just people. I'm no better, and neither is he or she. I'll admit that it takes a lot of concentration with some folks. I'll also admit that I fail at it when they really get going on a rant. Ah, to strive for perfection and reach for the stars and perhaps touch one if I try hard enough.
"That'd burn your hand clean off."
--Wally
Best to you,
Goober Dave
Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Dealing with Stupid
He doesn't know what to do next. The man at the fence tells him to take a lug nut off of each of the other wheels and drive slowly into town where he can buy more.
The man thinks that is a brilliant solution. He says so and the inmate says "I'm not stupid, I'm in here because I'm crazy"
RE: Dealing with Stupid
KENAT: that's a brilliant comeback!
RE: Dealing with Stupid
― Albert Einstein
Chris
SolidWorks 11
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Dealing with Stupid
"" Just for clarification - I am personally not surrounded by all of these things, but was just writing generically for the sake of stimulating conversation. ""
So you get everybody worked up on a generic question, Isn't that in itself a little senseless?
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Best to you,
Goober Dave
Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Happy is the moron, who doesn't give a damn.
I wish I were a moron, my God perhaps I am.
- Steve
RE: Dealing with Stupid
I'll just stick to the topic with some examples.
Sometimes things are worth fighting over.
Manufacturing does not like the use of section views in assembly prints. They claim it is too difficult for the assembly people to follow and they confuse everyone looking at the drawing. (There is no evidence of this - the assembly people rarely look at prints anyway.)
It is my opinion that a section view showing the final assembled position of an internal part in my assembly in addition to orthographic and exploded views, is actually a requirement of the assembly. This ADDS clarity to the drawing. IMO if you can't read a section view, then you need to ask someone to help you so you can learn how to do your job. Keep in my that I also have exploded views - the section view eliminates ambiguity as to where parts finally end up. 50 years ago, exploded views did not exist at my company, and drawings had 1/10th the detail that I'm putting into my drawings now.
Sometimes things are not worth fighting over. The guy that collects everyone's garbage always puts my garbage can wherever is most convenient for him - never back where he found it. Every day I need to move it back. I just laugh at this and move on with my day.
For me, stupid problems happen every day. In fact, 90% of all my work is dealing with stupid problems. I deal with it and move on. Sometimes I am bothered for weeks at a time, but eventually I will remedy the situation. Sometimes talk radio is enough. More often then not I need some intense physical activity to feel like myself again. Sometimes I need to complete a home project or have a couple of beers with the guys.
That is the point of this thread. What do you do? A lot of people tend to ignore the underlying issues and are content living in a sub-optimal world.
Do you go and talk to the person or management about the issue? How does one work out problems with uneducated stubborn people without any listening comprehension skills?
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Dealing with at least what appears to be 'stupid' can be frustrating. Just so happens I posted about frustration a few years back: thread731-179040: Overcoming Frustration.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Dealing with Stupid
We try to mitigate this with blueprint reading training, and try to keep it simple by explaining what a section view or exploded diagram actaully is, and how it's easier to understand, and how to reference the parts list and that the little number balloons actually correspond to the parts list. Concluding with "now get the he!! back to work". I actually only think the last part, but some day the Freudian tendency is going to slip a cog and I'll blurt it out.
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Because I also have a code of ethics that I adhere to.
Maui
www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Every day you put your garbage can out of reach for me. I have 300 garbage cans to dump each day. Have to go out of my way to get yours, puts me behind - no one cares I am just the garbage man. Maybe if I put your garbage can where it is easier for me, you will start putting your garbage can there.
Nope - not today - people can be so stupid.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
The things you describe happen no matter where you go.
It was my turn in this barrel two weeks ago. An Engineer submitted a hand drawn sketch for a job, this was approved and construction started on a very fancy stainless steel kitchen hood. The hood was finished and sitting in the shop awaiting delivery. The contractor then had a hizzy fit and said he could not work off a sketch and demanded drawings to scale ( The sketch had been produced from on site measurements the contractor had assisted in providing.) . The engineer asked me to produce these drawings, which I did.
Everything went quiet for about a week, then the customer came back with several design changes that completely altered the shape, size, and style of the hood. As I said before, it was already made.
So I modified the drawings, they then got these approved by the customer ( Not the contractor.), with an agreement to pay for the changes.
Then I ended up doing detailed shop drawings for the changes, incorporating as much of the existing hood as I could.
The modified hood was finally delivered to the job site Monday Three weeks after this all started.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Although to be fair, it's my job to engineer things, not to make garbage collection easier. If I really cared I would have spoken with the garbage supervisor and determined who's responsibility it was to place the can in the designated location.
Still. Great point.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
I just put my garbage outside my cube.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Your response says much of how you see yourself with respect to your interaction with other people.
Good luck to you in the future.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
I'm trying to figure out where you likely work. The first place that comes to mind is the White House. The second is Detroit City Government.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
It's not a big deal, but it frustrates me that the dustman (not the same guy every time) does consider me. Putting my bin to one side of my drive would mean taking another 2 -3 steps for him, which is obviously too much.
Solution: Do nothing, move the bin myself as it allows me to moan and gives me something to talk about.
Moral: Life would be dull if there were no obstacles in my way.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Sure, he would. What other pleasure could he derive from his work, other than to know that he made a significant impact on your day?
TTFN

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RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:
To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
My guess is he put liquids in the trash too many times and the bag blew, leaked on the garbage man. I will never put liquid (or ice) into a trash can. Dump it outside, or find a sink. There is not much worse than trash juice.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
1 Let stupidity run its course, you are powerless to change it anyway.
2 Learn to enjoy thinking about how stupidity happens with respect to the individuals you work with.
Each person is somewhat of an enigma, try to determine how they think, but do not try to correct.
3 Support stupidity in its run to the dead end. This may be the fastest way to get past it.
4 Enjoy observing the chaos as you might watch the flame of a fire or a babbling brook.
5 Read Douglas Adams Hitchhiker series, and also the previously mentioned Putt's Law.
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
“Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.”
― John Wayne
www.Exlar.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Maui
www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid."
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Maui
www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
You are correct.
I simply grabbed the quote from the internet. And of course everything is true on the internet - right?
www.Exlar.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
Maui
www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com
RE: Dealing with Stupid
I can share with you a bit from a business owner's point of view. Respectfully disagreeing with colleagues is critical to the overall functioning of a company. Getting along with the other workers is very high on our list of things we require of an employee. No one knows everything. We can, and do, forgive mistakes. Employees, however, who cause problems and make other people feel uncomfortable--no matter how smart they are--are usually looking for another job very quickly.
David
:):):)
www.kirkhammotorsports.com