It could be that the complexity of our professional lives has forced us into daily conventions that become ruts, ruts so deep that we no longer are aware of the ethical dilemmas and opportunities for choice that present themselves every day. Obviously though, not everyone for whom engineering is a source of livelihood is bored, stoic, and passive. Robert Bellah points out in his landmark book Habits of the Heart that work can be a source of self-esteem. It may provide new challenges and pathways to social standing and power. Yet, indifference and even cynicism can be found in the professions.
Cynicism arises when options are limited, when possibilities for choosing are lost.
Lines become blurred and difficult to draw, and standards seem out of reach. Deception begins to dominate, leading many to place self-interest above societal interest. We cannot be both cynical and honest to ourselves. We cannot be both cynical and consciously moral because to be moral, we act by what we truthfully see as right and wrong. Genuine ethical autonomy is the product of reflective and honest choice.