Mechanics Vs Drivers

A consultant once asked me why I always referred to him as “a mechanic,” noting that it was very clear from the way I used the term that it was a compliment, but it was not one he understood.

“Ah,” I said. “That’s simple enough. Any asshole can DRIVE a car fast and crack it up, but it takes a MECHANIC to build a car that can actually GO fast. Drivers crack things up, and that’s true for even the best of them. Good mechanics build. It’s a higher skill set, and every good driver knows it.”