A close friend told me recently that diplomacy is to present aspects of the truth such that it is favourable to the hearer, and so benefits the diplomat. My reply was that I have a lot of trouble becoming a diplomat because I am a born engineer, I want to solve problems and not talk my way out of them. It seems to me then that diplomacy and engineering are at odds with each other, at opposite ends of a continuum. An engineer has to be truthful because the laws of the universe will prove him either sound or a liar, whereas a diplomat lies his way out of every problem.
Is there any synergy between the two of them? Is it possible to engineer a diplomacy? Is it possible to engineer my transformation into a diplomat? What does a diplomat do that an engineer would not, other than be more friendly towards people in general? What goes on in the mind of a diplomat that enables him to continue operating the way he does. What guides his actions and shapes his thoughts? What principles and models does he follow?
I will try to develop the diplomat's mindset and see for myself.
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