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About this quote

What does it mean?
Engineers must stay connected to practical realities and real-world applications to maintain their effectiveness and strength.
In plain terms
Stay connected to the real world to remain effective in your work.
What can you take from it?
Avoid isolation from practical realities to preserve your expertise.

Where it applies

  • engineering teams
  • field work
  • product development

Putting it to work

  • visit production sites
  • talk to users
  • test in real environments

Questions to consider

  • When did you last step away from theory to test in the real world?
  • How does isolation impact your decision-making?

Another view

Too much focus on the real world might distract from necessary theoretical innovation.

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