I think for the most part Engineers are pragmatists and want to work to provide value for humanity. Engineering itself has obvious meaning.  The final construction of the building, highway, or treatment plant is useful and therefore meaningful. Since the built thing has meaning, we have meaning. There are many professions that lack this, but we choose this profession partly because of this. Living a meaningful life is critical to one’s well-being. Engineers, at a minimum, are visual thinkers, artists, scientists, risk takers, worriers, and self-reflective professionals who value intuition, logic, and living meaningful lives. We are in constant search for the knowledge to be able to do things (know-how) not necessarily knowledge itself (know-that). We want to actively participate in creating a better built world. These are some of the common traits that make us who we are.