Why "mechanically inclined" is the worst automotive excuse

"signintoburnerlol" (signintoburnerlol) 06/06/2015 at 17:13 • Filed to: None

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A few days ago a fellow car enthusiast told me he wasn’t mechanically inclined as others, hence why he wouldn’t do any such mechanical work on his Miata. This excuse was always one that didn’t make much sense to me when you break it down.

When a person states they aren’t mechanically inclined, they refer to the use of their hands, more so the skill of using their hands, taking apart mechanical assemblies, following manuals of repair, etc. The truth is that no one in the world is mechanically inclined. Every single person who works as a professional mechanic learned to become a professional. Every single person modifying their car learned to work on their car. Do you see where I’m getting at? This all requires knowledge and practice. No one is born and instantly knows how to do an oil change or change your steering rack. Just like no child is born instantly whom can play Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 on the violin.

Every trade and every skill requires practice and in part trial and error. Sometimes the mistakes we make working on cars can be the most valuable ones. Don’t want to risk it? Then take it to a shop.

You don’t have time to learn? Then don’t use the word”mechanically inclined”, simply state that you haven’t have the time to learn, the tools, the space or any of the other million excuses. This phrase is used all the time, even on this website.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 17:16

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Personally, when I use the term, “Not mechanically inclined” I’m trying to convey that I have neither the knowledge to know what I’m doing nor the desire to learn.

yamahog > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 17:20

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It’s almost as if those who aren’t mechanically inclined are not particularly inclined to working on mechanical devices, and are thus using the proper statement to convey their preference to pay for mechanical service rather than fiddle with it themselves.

spanfucker retire bitch > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 06/06/2015 at 17:26

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This exactly.

I could probably learn. But I can’t be assed.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 17:35

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So then what do we call somebody who has tried to learn and is just bad at it? I’ve known people like that, they’re the ones I generally called ‘not mechanically inclined.’

signintoburnerlol > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 06/06/2015 at 17:39

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Hard heads

ly2v8-Brian > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 18:00

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Because many actually don't comprehend mechanical devices.

Devilishprune > ly2v8-Brian 06/06/2015 at 18:14

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I think that’s more the issue than anything. People who are mechanics or work on their own cars are likely more able to understand how an engine or system works together.

DougNuts > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 18:19

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I'm a damn good mechanic, but I couldn't prepare a whole meal as well as my wife. It takes experience and a level of comfort to obtain some skills.

ly2v8-Brian > Devilishprune 06/06/2015 at 18:26

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Exactly.

1111111111111111111111 > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 18:39

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Well said. I’ll take it to the shop everything if I’m not willing to accept the risk. That and being mechanically inclined are totally different.

desertdog5051 > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 19:00

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I agree with your points. Everyone had/has to learn. It all depended on how badly you wanted to do it. I did. Others don’t.

I do agree with sm70:

“Personally, when I use the term, “Not mechanically inclined” I’m trying to convey that I have neither the knowledge to know what I’m doing nor the desire to learn”.

wantafuncar > signintoburnerlol 06/06/2015 at 22:22

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Even with a book/manual (or some interwebs help), you still have to have some aptitude for fixing things, working with your hands, and/or mechanics.

I am not naturally good at diagnosis & repair of anything ‘hands on.’ I can do a lot myself because of years of trial and error, researching, etc.

That said, I know my limits. I’m not going to tackle a full restoration that will likely involve some fabrication, difficult work, etc. While I can change oil, various fluid, perform some maintenance, remove and replace many parts, etc., sometime I cave and pay a professional because: 1) it would take me too long; 2) I can’t figure it out; 3) it involves something I don’t want to deal with; 4) I would rather have them do it to have a warranty on the work.

I don’t think it is as simple as “not mechanically inclined” = excuse. I would use that phrase to mean I’m not going to go out and buy a spec miata that I race and work on myself or buy a junker muscle car and do a total resto because I know that is beyond my skill level.

orcim > signintoburnerlol 06/07/2015 at 05:46

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This past year, I’ve been schooled in my own approach to new things that need fixing. As a handyperson, I get thrown into tons of crazy never-seen-before-by-me situations and asked to perform. Fear [of failure] is real and I see it stops a lot of people.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 04/29/2016 at 10:49

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I’ve tried to learn and my skill is basically limited to basic maintenance: Oil changes, disc brakes, belts, hoses and spark plugs.

Dankhimself > yamahog 01/09/2019 at 21:18

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This is an accurate ( and properly worded) answer. You actually understand what it means.

My friend and I both do all of our own work, but he will stop and get me involved when it comes to opening something like a gearbox or some other unknown array of parts in a ve hicle or other machine because he knows I can figure anything out . He’s just as smart as I am but doesn’t have the confidence I do with complex machines. He’s a better electrician than I am so I leave that stuff to him.

I enjoy disassembling machinery and figuring out how it works and diagno sing how & why parts fail.

An inclination, affinity, proclivity, they all mean to have a basic interest in how and why machines work, don’t work, how they fail and how to fix failures in mechanical things. That’s being ‘mechanically inclined’