# 145: Idea-Bazooka
Story behind the Passage
Actually, I think, my next degree might even be in Physics. Am I kidding? Probably! I would not manage to pass any exams in Physics, I think. Still, I have never never been that close to the natural sciences. So many questions and topics I am thinking about these days are related to the sciences. The most important one always brings me back to “energy.” Obviously, people get a lot of energy from me. I never planned it that way but it happens. You know, when I worked at the Physics cluster in university, they had a superconducting accelerator there. Even though I have never quite understood how it works, I at least understand that the thing accelerates particles. And this is what I always think of when people give me thee feedback: There is so much energy!
But it only works if you protect your own energy. What I mean: If you happen to adapt too much to the energy coming from others, especially if it is negative energy, your own energy will be lost. It gets sucked up, like a vacuum cleaner. Woooosh — and it is gone. You do not even have to be physically close to the energy suckers. It can also happen that, when you mentally prepare for a meeting, your energy level already drops. You might not believe it but it is true. Now that I am more careful about this, I can hear it in my own voice. Whenever I get into some sort of negative mood about the person I am about to talk to or if I am nervous for some reason, my voice and my body language change in a way that the other person does not get anything from me — at least, no energy bazooka!
Yes, this has become one of my favorite words now. I know, it sounds quite terrible. But there is a funny story behind this. I mean, the current story behind the word was created by the German government. They were talking about how to counter the Covid problems with an eceonmic rescue package. Due to the high volume and expected power of this package, they called it “bazooka.” I think, I had never heard the word before but kind of knew what it denoted when I first heard it. Then, a few weeks ago, I threw around with so many ideas in response to a request that I myself entitled the e-mail “Idea Bazooka.” Since then, practically every e-mail between us has some reference to the bazooka. So, of course, given my chronical curiosity, I had to follow up on this now. As always when I am curious, I check the etymology dictionary. And not unsurprisingly, I found something really striking.
My Learnings
“… a slang term for ‘mouth’ or ‘boastful talk’ (1877), which is probably from Dutch bazuin ‘trumpet.’” Given the fact that a bazooka is a rocket from the start, it comes to little surprise that the other defining criteria are not that “nice” overall. I kind of like the reference to the instrument. After all, instruments are there to get heard, to be listened to (even though I have no clue who Bob Burns is). But the really interesting part is that it is not any instrument, it is a trumpet associated with “boastful talk.”
Hmmm.
Obviously, my self-declared idea bazooka was meant to do good, no harm. But the funny thing is, if you think about the effect that such a bazooka can have, it really meets these negative criteria. Again and again, I have made the experience that too much is really too much for people. They cannot take it anymore. Yes, they kind of find it energizing if someone like me throws around with ideas — and I mean real ideas that can actually be implemented. Still, if you cross a certain line with respect to content, complexity and amount, people shut off, they just lose it, they need peace to recover from listening to the “sound of the trumpet.”
Believe me, this is true, it happens to me all the time.
Most people do not mean it in a negative way if they say “stop.” They are just not used to being under fire. So, what I am saying, there is a negative effect that can happen and which might be irreversible. And there can, of course, be the effect that people just think you have ideas but no action follows. It is the same with the German government, right? The reason why the term “bazooka” has lost its force is because the government promised a lot of help but it has not materialized. Most small-business owners have not seen any money after more than three months in shutdown. So, the bazooka might have been a great idea but the government obviously did not read the instructions properly and therefore fired into the wrong direction — against itself.
Do I want that? Do I really want to be known as an idea “bazooka” that drives people nuts with promises that never take off?
Obviously, this is a rhetorical question and I know it is exaggerated. Yes, I do have many ideas but I am also a quick executor. This is what entrepreneurship teaches you: An idea is worth nothing if you cannot/do not implement it. So, the function this little bazooka reflection has for me is that of a warning: Yes, I am sort of happy about the fact that I can “shoot” with ideas, especially in situations when people do not see the light at the end of the tunnel. It helps them move on, it motivates, and empowers. But I should never forget that the higher the expectations, the more you are held responsible for what happens afterwards.
Actually, I think, I have grown up now and this thought does not scare me anymore. On the contrary, I like it. If you run away from responsibility, you run away from creating impact. And íf there is one thing the bazooka has the power to achieve— it is: making rockets fly.
Reflection Questions
1) If you wanted to be an idea bazooka — which field would this be in (e.g., creative, sports, technical…)?
2) Do you think that ideas in and of themselves have value, independent of their implementation?
3) Did you ever “shoot” at people with ideas and they felt intimidated? How did you learn about this?