8 is not a number near and dear to the engineer, but it is a number that helps define the engineer. From data derived by the Center for Extrapolated Data, 8 is the average number of times a year that an engineer will actually tell his wife, “I love you.”
Most non-engineers (NE) reading this will consider this to be way too low for a good, working relationship, and, I guess from all those relationship books – written by NE’s – sure, that is probably true. A wife typically needs many more words of encouragement and endorsement of love. But in the engineer’s mind, he told her when they got married, and he would tell her if anything changed, so the 8 a year are above what is needed. However, in at least a meager attempt to accommodate this non-logical necessity of using these words of emotion, he acquiesces and uses these words on wildly emotional days like their anniversary, her birthday, Valentine’s Day, and around the holidays at the end of the year. Notice that that is only four times. So the other four are far and away extra ones. Think about it.
As the engineer’s mantra goes, “Engineers don’t feel. Engineers think.”
But, he can learn to adapt. Sort of.
Engineering Daze 
Jun 18, 2012 @ 15:08:21
I agree with what you say to some degree but I think there is another side to this coin that you missed. Non-engineers often miss the fact that engineers speak through actions way more that non-engineers. For example, if an engineer is going to buy his wife a gift and it’s something way nicer, bigger,… than she asked for or thought she needed it’s a good indicator. She asked for something, and he decided to do a bit more than expected for her because he valued her and her desires and wanted her to know that. Another good example is if an engineer’s partner has a rough day and he notices this and surprises her by cooking for her or deciding to go out to eat that night instead of her doing the cooking as usual, it’s his way of saying “I know you had a rough day – I notice that and I want you to relax and take a break this evening so you can feel better.” But maybe that’s just me.
Jun 18, 2012 @ 20:56:17
Exactly. Engineers can adapt to the world by understanding it through their lens. I do this, that happens. That is the engineering way.