Engineers are too reticent.
Consider the airtime given to actors/actresses to dissect their portrayal of a character, or given to chefs to go into raptures about how they chop vegetables or add herbs.
By contrast engineers are disinclined to express the passion that goes into their work and sadly only command airtime when there is a disaster.
All the while Engineering companies and Institutions do themselves no favours by focusing on the facts, figures and data of the profession when trying to attract the next generation. When you are a teenager facts are not inspiring.
But it can be done!
In his latest BBC documentary artist Lachlan Goudie does a brilliant job of expressing the power, passion, commitment and skills that has gone, and continues to go, into shipbuilding on the Clyde. Here is just a clip.
To me he does a better job of presenting the attractions of a career at BAE Shipbuilders than any corporate video or career information pack I’ve seen.
And if ever BAE Systems wants a spokesman to express for the passion behind heavy engineering just listen to the words from the heart of John Brown Master Welder.