100% agree with parent. I guess I subscribe to more or less the same notion of what street smarts are. To me it's all about people and relationships. The older

100% agree with parent. I guess I subscribe to more or less the same notion of what street smarts are. To me it's all about people and relationships. The older I get the more I evidence I have in support of this simple fact. I was a CS major once, and I thought it was all about technology. That it was technology that changed the world and drove progress, saved the day and dashed out miracles. I thought that building something created meaning and brought satisfaction to the builder, and naturally I also believed that good builders were the most successful ones. But it's not that. The successful builder is the one who understands those he is building it for and those he is building it with. That's what sets success apart. Then there is socioeconomic background and all that. Understand life is precious. Value other people. Never be a means to an end for someone else. If you are, get out of that situation as soon as you can. Hold your ground for things that matter. If you think something matters think about whether the things you thought mattered 5 years ago still matter as much now. Pore over your decisions, and learn from your mistakes. Learn what motivates people. This is especially hard to do when you are an introvert, which many people with engineering background tend to be. The reason it's difficult is because most people are motivated by other things. Once you get a handle on what motivates those around you, learn to motivate and influence other people. I don't mean use, I mean lead. I don't mean cheat, I mean compromise. Separate business and family life. This goes back to knowing what really matters. Jobs come and go. You only get a few shots to surround yourself with the right kind of people for the long run. No matter what you do, never lie to yourself. This is probably the worst thing you can do, as far as I am concerned. Much better to live with not so pleasant truth than to live a life of self-deception. Just my 2c.