It is perhaps somewhat arrogant to say Engineers would make the world better if only we could run the government. There is a reason that engineers do not run for positions in government, and do not get into bureaucratic positions of power.

Many engineers approach social situations as nuisances. This attitude is not shared by politicians, who use social events to their advantage in gaining political support. This alone makes engineers seem lofty and unapproachable by the average person, who may not have the same intellectual ability as an engineer. For this reason alone, it may be hard for engineers to understand the needs of society – because they think in a way that is so vastly different from other people.

While engineers certainly have a good grasp of scientific problems and can easily problem solve, engineers are not particularly well suited as leaders. The type of people that the engineering profession attracts is not representative of the majority of the population. Engineers are usually the types of people who prefer objective reasoning with numbers and equations rather than with subjective realities like most societal issues are.

Engineers have no trouble coming up with solutions to most problems, with their trained analytical skills. Unfortunately, much of the time engineers solve the wrong problem altogether. While some solutions may make some scientific sense to the engineer, they do not necessarily have the same charm to the average Joe. Engineers, having solutions to problems, are generally progressive in nature. They want to see their solutions implemented as soon as possible, and are often frustrated when their proposals to politicians get stuck in red tape for years.

What engineers often do not see is that some people do not wish for a change. Despite glaring social problems, people get comfortable in their social niche, and do not necessarily want change. Like the engineers who work with the disadvantaged developing world with EWB know well, the engineering solution is not always aligned with the cultural values of the majority, and do not serve the needs of people.

If the world were run by engineers in government, things would surely get done. Engineers hate bureaucracy. But there is no guarantee that the things that get done would be the best things for society. While technological advances would be easily accepted, their social impacts may not be so easily realized.