Why did Robert Louis Stevenson decide not to become a lighthouse engineer?

Robert Louis Stevenson did not become a lighthouse engineer simply because he had no desire to pursue that profession. Although he was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, Thomas Stevenson, and other family members who were prominent engineers, he felt no inclination toward the field.123

Instead, Stevenson had a strong, early-developed passion for writing and had spent his teenage years deliberately studying the craft by imitating various literary models. To resolve the conflict regarding his career path, he reached a compromise with his father to study for the bar instead. Although he was called to the Scottish bar in 1875, he never practiced law, choosing to dedicate his life to becoming a writer instead.12