Brain Food for Pioneering Spirits: A new overarching theme kicks off — action. Dr. Yasemin Yazan, Marc (calling in from Florence again), Sabine, Frank, Layla and Astrid brainstorm everything the word touches: New Year’s resolutions, the etymology of “handeln,” why you can’t truly not-decide any more than you can not-communicate, and the sharp edge hiding in “why don’t you just take action” when someone uses it as leverage.
Note: This session was recorded live in German as part of the Deep Talk Club, so the video above is German-language audio only. What follows is an English translation of the conversation, lightly edited for readability — the back-and-forth between the moderator and participants is preserved, but the original timestamps and speaker names have been left out.
Good morning, everyone. Today we’re starting our next overarching theme, and I’m really looking forward to it. I announced it yesterday: action. We’ll first do an initial approach, before we check the room planning again over the next few days accordingly. So, a first approach, so we can find an easy entry into the topic, and also look at what aspects come to mind for us first, basically a kind of brainstorming — gathering everything that comes to mind in connection with action, and then later opening up specific rooms about it too. With that, you’re all very warmly invited to join this morning and bring in various aspects too. We have a recording running the entire time, so anyone who joins automatically agrees that the whole thing gets published later too. Then we have three small room rules: a profile photo where you’re recognizable, your first and last name, and at least one sentence in your bio. And if you don’t want that for whatever reason or can’t speak right now, you can of course also use the chat to contribute one thing or another. So, with that, the reflection space is open for today. I’m curious who’ll join. And Marc is already joining directly, I’m glad. Good morning, dear Marc. What are your first thoughts on this?
Buongiorno, from Firenze again today too. Greetings to you all, and I wish you a wonderful Saturday, and welcome to our international, European Deep Talk Club room. I’m glad to be with you. My first thoughts are actually New Year’s Eve, I find, Yasemin. Because it’s not that far to New Year’s Eve anymore, and when I think of action, what comes to mind for me personally, but also for many other people, is that fixed points in time often get set, where we say, oh, I always plan to do that, that’s when I could take action. And for me that’s New Year’s Eve, and so it doesn’t just stay at that one day, I’ve also added my birthday in July, always, so I can check in every six months on what I actually wanted to do, where I stand. And that’s what comes to mind for me with many people, when you talk about the topic of action and challenges, or when you want to start something new or take new paths, that a lot of people always first fix a set point in time, then I’ll do it, then I’ll start that — and probably the most well-known for everyone is New Year’s Eve, or the first day after New Year’s Eve.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. The famous New Year’s resolutions. And there might be different points in time for that. I’m totally with you that especially New Year’s Eve is a point in time where a lot, a lot of people do that, especially at the turn of the year, so to speak. So, a nice way to start — I hadn’t thought of that at all. I find that really great. That’s why it’s so nice to be able to bring in different perspectives here too. Wonderful, so let’s see what Sabine brings up first. Good morning, Sabine.
Good morning, everyone. Well, now we already have birthday and New Year’s Eve. For me this was a bit like Christmas, because we’ve been working toward this topic of action the whole time, and today’s the day, now it gets opened up. So this “action” thing swells up a bit for me, because it’s ultimately the end of this chain of action. Now we get into doing, we do it. Do we always get into doing? I know what I’m talking about, Yasemin, you probably too right in this moment. I work my way toward something and then I intend to do it and then something else comes up and I leave it lying there. But that has nothing to do with me not wanting it in the end, but simply — I’m back at my roads running in parallel — that you just say, okay, I’m giving this priority now, and the day only has 22 hours. So, this getting into action is actually not quite the end for me, because with action the present is there. Now I’m doing it. That was my opening statement.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. So that means you’ve already talked about the chain of action, so to speak, and then also looking at, do I actually always get into doing? What are maybe also things that hold me back, wanted or unwanted? Those are all aspects that flow in here. Am I even aware of it? Awareness definitely plays a role here too. And then you also mentioned something like prioritization, for example. I find that really exciting in this context too, because theoretically we of course have lots of things we might want to do. But what are actually the things that are important to us, and in what order? So maybe we have something like urgency involved there too, or importance involved. So all of that are aspects that ultimately play a role here too. Wonderful. What other aspects come to mind for you? Go ahead, Marc, and then Sabine again.
Well, I think there’s no topic where it’s so individual and where there are so many individual answers, and question marks for each individual person too, as the topic of action. And I went deep into myself and considered how it was for me. And I can only remember my school days. For me it was always the case that I always took action when it was right before the deadline, right at the last minute. If there was a class test on Wednesday, I’d think, okay, it’s enough if I deal with it on Tuesday, because I used the other days for other things. And then there are people who maybe need longer preparation, who feel more comfortable when they have more time. But I notice that different characters and different people approach action differently too. And thankfully I can recognize these things about myself now, and can smile and laugh about myself too. And you said something really important at the start — this becoming aware is already a really, really important point, which will certainly come up again in one round or another here on the topic of action.
Yes, wonderful. Sabine.
Yes, I wanted to establish, I think for me there’s small action and big action. Small action is things that come up ad hoc right now, like, I’m going to get vegetables right now. So I’m taking action in this moment because I’m going to get vegetables. Big action, for me, is somehow projects — those can be small projects too, they can also be individual steps, but something that’s already on the path, that I want to tackle. So, I think I’m already quite satisfied with the fact that my calendar is now run the way I want it. I used to always have three calendars. Well, then, if I wanted to take action, I had to check the three calendars. There was a family calendar, a business calendar, a private calendar. Today I have my iPhone, everything’s on it. Sometimes something pops up that I don’t necessarily have in mind anymore. But then I get into action there. And I think that’s really important too, this short-term action — I sometimes can’t avoid it, because that’s just how it is. It’s the same as, if I have tennis in my calendar on Thursday at 9, I don’t need to think about it, I go to tennis at 9. With other things I still need the push, or the kick in the pants, to give myself that final push to actually get into the plan.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. So there we have small and big action — we could also pick up aspects here, like routine action, for example, where we don’t think about it at all anymore, like maybe going to get bread rolls or similar. That means certain routines that belong to everyday life, whether that’s every day, on certain days, or similar. And then also action that maybe needs a certain lead time. You also called that big projects, for example. And we’d also talked about this in the context of reflection and thinking processes, that there are also things that, for example, need time to mature. And that can definitely be the case with big projects, that here too, over a certain period, for example, planning has to happen first, or similar. And then we have different relay stages of action too, so to speak, where you maybe have to look at how you actually prepare the action, so to speak, before it goes into implementation. And there we maybe have a new term too, implementation. And then I also allowed myself the fun, in quotation marks, to look at, from the definition side, what actually is this, if I type in “action.” Because it’s so clear to us that maybe we don’t automatically go straight to the definition, even though we’ve established in many rooms that this is really helpful too. So I allowed myself the fun, and I’d like to read it to you. I brought two things. First, on Wikipedia, action is a collective term for certain activities a person deliberately undertakes. Action is connected to responsibility. Ethics tries to establish criteria for evaluating actions. I find that really exciting — we can talk about that again in a moment if you want. And then I also found in the Oxford dictionary, for example, first, to sell certain goods commercially, to trade in something. I trade in used cars, for example. Or the second entry is, to be in business dealings with someone. To trade with foreign companies, to trade with many countries, and so on. So we can look at that again too.
Would you like to add to that, dear Sabine? Go ahead.
Yes, as you just said that, it also opened my eyes. Handeln [action/trade in German] is also the stock exchange. But if you’re not directly in trading, meaning I’m a stockbroker, or standing on the trading floor shouting stocks back and forth, then that didn’t come to mind for me, because this other “handeln” — taking action — is so much closer than trading, it doesn’t have to be the stock exchange, it can of course also simply be worldwide economic trade. If Germany sells cars from China, that’s trade too. And I think, no, it’s surely the case that I trade daily in daily commerce, in my job too. And maybe not with goods back and forth, but maybe deal, whereby “handeln” there is probably more like fair-dealing, a condition or conditions under which I bring the whole thing about. That’s more the fair-dealing aspect, I think. I take it back.
Yes, though we’ve made really exciting discoveries in past rooms too with prefixes. So, looking here too at where the root, the stem “handeln,” is actually hidden in the term, and then also swapping out prefixes or similar and seeing what happens. So I find that a really exciting aspect too. Maybe we can pick that up again. So in “fair-dealing,” for example, it’s embedded in there. Creating this awareness in the first place, of where this root “handeln” as a term is hidden, and what meaning that might have too, I find a really, really exciting aspect in this context. Let me give you the opportunity again, and then also bring in Astrid.
Right, sorry, dear Astrid, that’s directly connected. I just checked again, to be really sure — in English, the difference in this “handeln” you meant, that’s trade, so trade as in doing business, and the other “handeln” we’re also discussing, how do I get into action, that’s more “act.” I find it always helpful for myself when you bring in another language too, because you often get different thoughts that way, and can compare and evaluate it differently. So, trade for the “handeln” you just mentioned, dear Yasemin, and act for the “handeln” regarding, how do we get into doing, moving something. Thank you, dear Astrid, for me just pushing in there.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much, Astrid.
Yes, good morning, I’m at the train station, so I don’t know how long I’ll be here. Yes, as I read that just now with “handeln,” I just joined recently, and I thought, that also has to do with “behandeln” [to treat], how do I treat myself. “Handeln” comes from “Hand” [hand], “Handlung” [action], and accordingly, what Sabine hinted at with her calendar — I think action already begins the moment I wake up and then make decisions, making decisions has to do with action too, and then I make decisions, how does my day unfold and what steps do I have, and what you also said, Yasemin, this situation where I have long-term projects, I always tackle it in steps. I write down every day, every evening, what I need to get done the next day, and the things I don’t manage, and the unpleasant things, I do those first, so I can say, oh, now I have the worst behind me, and then, since I get up early at four, by midday I’ve already fulfilled my whole quota, already lots of success through my action, and then I can relax into the rest of the day, and with the steps I haven’t fulfilled, because I never reached them or something, I write everything down in the calendar, the conversations too, so I can trace it again, I take the unpleasant things first thing the next day.
And that’s my action, and that’s also my “treating” — how I treat myself and how I treat my time and my life. I find that really important too, because most of the time we forget ourselves in action and only act for others, and then in the afternoon I can enjoy my day in peace, or say, I’m going for a spine massage, or I do Nordic walking, and that has to do with action too. How do I treat myself, my free time — life is time-limited after all, so free time and perceiving yourself and being aware, really, really important for me. That’s my contribution to the topic of action, and I’m about to get on the train, and in case I’m gone, I wish you a wonderful day. Maybe one or another of you will think about it a bit more. Thanks, Yasemin, for the room here.
Yes, great, thank you so much, Astrid, and have a good trip. Yes, and I find the “behandeln” [treating] especially great, because we have these prefixes included here too, and then also this — how I treat myself and treat others too — is a topic too, so in dealing with others, so to speak, and with myself too, being able to differentiate action again here too, similar to how we did it with thinking, looking inward and outward, so to speak, I find that great. Let me bring in Frank first at this point, and then we can gladly make cross-references again. Frank, good morning.
Good morning. Yes, an interesting discussion as always, and something I’ve thought about often too. But I don’t want to bring in too much opinion right now, so I got out my etymological dictionary, the Kluge, and I’d just like to read out what it says under “Handel” and “Handeln,” because that’s the word origin, so to speak, how it developed, which area of the German language it comes from. And here it says for “Handel”: from Middle High German “handel,” a back-formation from “handeln,” initially general in the meanings of this verb, then specialized to the commercial meaning. So the specialization to the commercial meaning comes later. A special meaning of the word is negotiation, dispute, especially in the plural, Late Middle High German “handel,” leading to Low German “handel,” maybe under the additional influence of the verbal form “handeln,” which was initially just a variant of “handeln.” So, and then under “handeln” it says Middle High German “handeln,” so here we have various variations across dialects. The meaning is originally to grasp, seize, feel, then also to transfer, to treat, then in German generally to perform, to do, and so on. The commercial usage from roughly the 16th century. A derivation from “Hand,” so doing something with the hand, like something with the knee here, I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem to have a connecting vowel. So, then we can look at “Hand” itself, because even there the origin is apparently disputed. Conceivable is a connection to, blah blah blah, that looks very North German, catching, seizing, in Gothic, the hand would then be described as the “seizer.” Morphologically this assumption is problematic though, and so on, because there are no Germanic nominal agents. So, wherever the hand really came from, we don’t actually know for sure, that’s disputed and contested among linguists, and I just read you the rest. I’d try to think about that, if I were doing it alone, so to speak.
Yes, great, thank you so much, and the word origin is always an enrichment too, as we’ve established in other rooms too. So above all, to provide impulses, to really get this thinking process and reflection process going accordingly. Sabine, you wanted to add something too, and then the others too, gladly, if they want to. Sabine.
My original contribution got lost, because “Hand” got in the way, and I have to think about where we currently stand, where our development is. It’s going more and more from manual, hands-on work to head-work, service-oriented of course the hand is always there too, but not like in production. I find that really interesting. So I wouldn’t have thought of “Hand” at all, but the letters are hidden in there. And what did I actually want to say earlier? Oh right, what Astrid said, I found that really important too. So I now also do, I have my to-do list and my calendar, and all my things go into my to-do list, because private stuff often fell by the wayside for me, because I pushed it to the back, and then the day was over and I hadn’t done it. And then it kept getting postponed further. Today it’s in there, and if I do something for the kids or for myself, that goes in there too. And likewise these three most important things I do, they’re often not big things at all, but they often fell by the wayside too. If they’re now in my to-do list, then I do them at some point, then I’ve fulfilled my three things, then I already feel considerably better, maybe I haven’t done the big chunk before the day, but if I don’t finish that today, I’ll do it tomorrow. That’s fine too.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. Marc, did you have any further impulses from the contributions that came in?
Sorry, I couldn’t listen for the last three minutes. I got distracted in action by an email that was work-related, which I had to briefly respond to, and then I wasn’t able to follow all the contributions. But what I wanted to say beforehand was, isn’t it the same with action as with non-action, just like with the decision. Action always requires a decision, and non-action is more or less an action too, because it eventually leads to a result and a consequence too.
Yes, absolutely, thank you so much. And Frank had already picked up the aspect of decision, and that would actually have been the next impulse from my side too, to say, how does that look with this reversal, so to speak, non-action. And maybe we can look at that too, what aspects come to mind in connection with non-action too. So, decision as the foundation, so to speak, how does it relate to this aspect of action, non-action, and what other influencing factors are there actually? Maybe we can think and gather in the direction of influencing factors too. Go ahead, Sabine.
Brilliant. I wanted to say to Marc, Marc, you’re on vacation, you didn’t want to read any work emails there, but that aside. On the other hand, with non-action, I think we need to distinguish again, whether I deliberately don’t act, or simply don’t act because I don’t get into action. Because in between there could have been reflection and feedback again, and I said, no, I’m throwing that overboard, I’m not acting here. Or do I do it because I simply don’t get into doing. I don’t act because I don’t get into doing — that’s of course something I should work on again.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. And I find this distinction really, really exciting at this point too, because that’s an observation, for example, in exchange with people who make a request too. We sometimes really look back together. There are always encounters, someone approached me, I don’t know, two years ago, to do something. And in several encounters, again and again, the commitment, yes, yes, I still want to tackle that. And then we look — and I sometimes do this very, very deliberately — that I say, wait, let me look that up, because we talked about that for the first time, to then, for example, establish, oh, it’s been two years, or it’s been a year. To then also get this thinking process going again, did I really want that, or am I even aware that so much time has passed? And what might have been the reasons for that? And do I want to change something about it, yes or no? So it can definitely be very legitimate that I decided the way I decided. But often it’s also this aspect you just mentioned, Sabine, that it’s not necessarily always the intentional non-action, but because other things often get in the way, or similar. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its place or its justification. But bringing that into awareness too, and actually reflecting on it and thinking about it, I find a really important aspect in this context. Frank, and then gladly Marc again.
So, I wanted to address this non-deciding too. So, deciding is definitely the foundation for action, necessarily. And I’ve thought about that for a while, and I’m applying, so to speak, transferring the Watzlawick concept, because in communication it’s the prerequisite too, so to speak, because communication is action, and that’s based on deciding. And he said you can’t not communicate. And so I transfer that to deciding too. You can’t not decide, but rather the point is that ultimately — and this gets demonstrated through action, so to speak — we’re unavoidably, we can’t get around it, having to make a decision, namely against all sorts of possibilities and for the one thing we then do. And this “not” is also a category that’s only processed reflexively in the brain too. So really this example with the pink elephant, I find that really helpful. We can’t not think about the pink elephant, but we can only, okay, it’s not supposed to be about that, it’s supposed to be about something else. But then we first have to imagine it. And that’s ultimately how it is with decisions too, so to speak. You can’t really decide for a non-decision, so to speak, but rather everything we ultimately haven’t decided, as long as we live, we do things, processes take place, and in them we hopefully make a conscious decision as often as possible. But this area of unconscious deciding and so on, that’s actually where the really exciting stuff happens. So these things, what are we actually clear about, what comes through social influences, what also comes through other environmental influences, how are we shaped by that actually, and when do we decide consciously. And that’s actually where the crux lies for this distinction, what we then supposedly don’t decide, or then don’t act, or don’t negotiate, and so on.
Yes, great, thank you so much. And you’ve already brought in further terms regarding the influencing factors. Things like environmental influences, we can pack beliefs in there, unconscious bias is a topic here too. And then the negation, the “not” with the pink elephant I find great, the connection to Watzlawick I find brilliant. So there are so, so many components we can include here, to look at this with, I have to almost say, full excitement and tension. I’m really looking forward to the next few days. We have so much we can really take into account here, and where we can first create awareness, so to speak, to work our way along step by step. Marc, you wanted to add something too.
Yes, this is really important for me for the recording, dear Sabine. I’m not on vacation, I’m traveling, and a large part of my time here, and that’s at least four to six hours a day, I’m also on the way to new collections, which I then respond to for my promotional products, and so on. This is just important for me for legal reasons if I get that right in the recording. Sorry, now we can get back to the topic. Wonderful. Do you have any further additions, Marc? Anything else that came to mind through what Sabine and Frank brought in too?
No additions from me. But I’m totally curious where this topic takes us, because I think we all have examples where we say, man, what would have happened if I’d acted in time there. And also with these trips I just mentioned, I’ve found that if I keep the system I had in school, for example, that I take care of things a day in advance, then I also find on trips, where there are of course time slots too, to go to my museum, that the world doesn’t function anymore the way I know it from my past. The world has changed, and no museum in the world waits for dear Marc to arrive. And this old learned behavior, that you just go somewhere, look friendly, wave nicely, have a nice conversation, and get let in — that doesn’t work anymore at all, because since Covid there are still time slots that get sold. And I noticed that it can definitely be smart to get into action, so to speak, to get into action beforehand, to look into the future, what do I want to do, what do I need for that, working backward. Because if I’m on site and just decide, now I’ll take action, the world doesn’t wait for me. And then you often have the situation that you can’t participate anymore in things that interest you, or things you want to be part of, because people say, where’s your pre-booked online ticket, and so on. And that’s changed my way of working quite a bit, because I’m now forced by external circumstances to act far, far in advance, which I wouldn’t have done before. But if I don’t do that, I don’t get the results I want in the future.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. Let me use the opportunity briefly to bring in the others who might have newly joined the room. We’re starting today with our new overarching theme, following on from reflection and thinking, with the next word, so to speak, and want to approach the topic of action, before we then check and add to the room topics again, against the backdrop of what aspects come together in this first approach, to make sure that we cover the relevant terminology in this context as largely as possible — largely, because it’s never fully comprehensive — and then also go into depth specifically with the individual rooms. So you’re all very warmly invited to join today and really bring in various impulses that come to mind for you regarding the term action. Whether that’s influencing factors, or effects, or whatever comes to mind for you, so we can really capture a diversity of different perspectives here too. It’s not about going into depth today yet, but at least having a kind of collection, so to speak, which in turn helps us with the room planning for the next few days accordingly. And yes, comments are warmly invited, meaning feel free to really look at this too. Just briefly for those who might be new to the room, as a reminder, the room gets recorded for the entire time and then published too. That means anyone who joins automatically agrees. We have three small room rules: a profile photo where you’re recognizable, first and last name, and at least one sentence in your bio. And if you don’t want that for whatever reason or can’t speak right now, you can of course also just use the chat to contribute one thing or another. Then I saw that Sabine and Frank want to add something. Sabine?
Can you repeat that please? Sabine, somehow we couldn’t hear you just now.
Let me try again. I think this is a look at the matter, how it goes anyway right now — everything goes much faster. So if I want to get into action too, then I also need to make sure I get into action, because if I take too long, the situation already looks completely different again. And then it can of course be that I want to get into action, then I reflect again, and then I see the train has passed, and then I don’t need to act anymore.
A really, really important point you’re raising, especially against the backdrop of the speed happening externally right now. And here various aspects come in too. On one hand it can be things like the time factor. Does it even still make sense, because maybe I waited too long regarding one thing or another? And then, conversely, so to speak, it also has effects on me and maybe my health, or the way I live, if I want to keep up with this high speed, in quotation marks, and maybe spread myself too thin through too many projects, too many activities, and so on and so forth. So here too, we’ve talked about topics like stress management, emotion regulation, burnout are terms I’d just like to bring up on the side in this context. So there are so many aspects here, where you can look, in the interconnection, so to speak, at what’s actually happening here and how we deal with it too. So, the way we deal with various things happening externally too. Frank?
Yes, I find it really helpful that we’re now focusing on the term of time, because action is necessarily coupled to time, and I found it really good that Marc directed that toward the future, this area of planning, so to speak. And then goals come in too, they’re connected to that — Marc just explained that really beautifully with his own example. So, goals you try to achieve, decision-making processes are already involved there, in that I weigh my options, or potential options, so to speak, and how I could reach them in the future, and then go through the possibilities of action, so to speak. But then negotiating comes in too — I’d bring that back in now, because that’s basically the social component, meaning if I can’t just do something alone, but when others are relevant for these goals, for the possibilities of achieving these goals, so to speak, then this social component of action comes in, where negotiating among each other comes in too. And yes, I find the discussion in the direction of responsibility really exciting right now too.
Yes, great, thank you so much. I saw Marc wanted to add something too, and then we can bring in Layla too.
Something just came to mind, I won’t go deeper into it now — something also just came to mind, especially in politics, many, many things are known, and you took the word responsibility as an entry point earlier too, and it can of course also be a strategy to omit action, to transfer the area of responsibility onto the following party, future, generation, and so on. Then it would be a deliberate decision not to act, to have, let’s say, near-term advantages, which might, however, then have negative effects in the future. That’s a really, really current topic too.
Can I quickly jump in on that, because I’d said that earlier when Marc wasn’t listening, those three minutes. So this non-action means in practice quite clearly that such a party, in this example, decides for something else, because we can’t not act. So that’s to say, if you have clarity on that, then the whole thing simply means, okay, if one thing gets omitted, then something else continues, so to speak. It’s not just that the one thing doesn’t happen, but automatically something else happens. Action does happen, they live after all, there are processes, and then they decide for something else, and that’s a really important area, especially when analyzing politics.
Yes, thank you so much, and with that I’d like to bring in Layla too, especially since the keyword responsibility just came up again — in the definitions we picked up right at the start of the room, the term ethics was in the room too. Maybe Layla, besides the various things she’s bringing in now, could also direct Marc’s attention to this ethics term and its connection here too. I’d find that really exciting too. Layla, good morning.
Good morning. I just had to laugh really hard, not because of the ethics, thank you for that, and I warmly welcome you all in the room too, because that’s of course a bit of a topic of mine, but when Patrick — no, it was Frank, sorry, Frank — just said that you can’t not act, I thought, wait a minute, like Watzlawick, and then I thought, what does “not not acting” mean then? So, the deliberate decision for non-action is already an action, and I think that’s really important too. So for me the keywords are actionism versus standstill. That’s really at your topic right now, I think, and in this context I’d also considered whether that’s completely the time component, because actionism for me also has to do with hectic activity, with fast movement, so really also with this — is standstill really that, and this action, is that always something moving, and is that moving in speech, is that moving in action, when is it actionism — and what also came to mind for me was, is intention also important, because, Yasemin, in the religious community I come from, for example, intention comes before the action. Intention is always so important, and then I think, yes, but I’ve heard that what matters is what comes out at the end, and then I think, yes, and I think that’s a component in action too. And if you bring up ethics, I can say, it’s supposed to be a guide for practical action that’s really based on values that have been negotiated together under certain circumstances. I can gladly google a definition for you, and maybe you can specify the question a bit more. Thanks for listening.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much, and I’ll gladly leave the question that open, because today we have this first approach, so to speak — it’s not about going into depth yet, but actually establishing all these interconnections with the term action first, to really then look at it in detail again in these specific rooms later, so we can also make the corresponding corrections for the room planning, which of course always gets checked and added to again. Thank you so much for that. Sabine, I saw you wanted to add something too.
Yes, I actually wanted to say something really brief to Frank, and I don’t know if I understood it correctly, or if I still have a problem with it somehow. Frank said, if I don’t act, then I act differently. And that, from politics — I don’t want a political discussion now — but our chancellor just came to mind ad hoc, who doesn’t want to send this one small cruise missile now. No, that’s not non-action, that’s procrastination. He didn’t say he won’t do it in the end. We’ve had that with him several times before. And that’s why I’m wondering right now, if I don’t act, does that already mean I act differently, or do I maybe still act that way, just a bit later?
Wait just a moment, Frank. No, wait please. I’d like to pick up an aspect Layla brought in here too, especially so we can really pick up this impulse again. Is it actually similar to communication, in the sense of, I can’t not act — that’s the next question, so to speak. What is non-action actually, well, we have it, but is that actually the same as not communicating, that’s the question I’m asking myself in this context too. Or should we maybe say, you can’t not decide, so to speak, which is the foundation of action. But I think we should look at that more closely. So that’s a thesis on the table for now, so to speak, which we should check again at this point. Because we talked about actionism, for example, or planned actions, and so on. But does action always have to do with, for example, something like movement, as Layla’s question also formulated? Or how is that actually? So maybe we should handle the terminology a bit more cleanly here too. And now go ahead, dear Frank.
Well, on that I have to say that I directly named Watzlawick earlier, and also went directly back to deciding and said that’s a necessary condition for action. And that’s exactly it, that you can’t not decide. So what we understand by not deciding, for example, procrastinating, or, I don’t know, being overwhelmed by something, so paralysis or something like that, that already describes something that points toward this conscious deciding. So where we can’t consciously decide anymore, so to speak. So, I’m putting awareness in the foreground now for these terms, which, where you keep going back to, that’s already in the words too, as we established earlier in the etymological dictionary, on which the concept of action, at least in German, is also based. So, yes, since everything keeps developing, moving forward in time, the environment and so on doesn’t stand still to wait for our later decision, but if we omit a certain activity, and that’s a negation of a certain activity we can imagine, then we automatically do something else. Because we don’t do that, we do something else. And if that just means we stay seated and omit that, that has consequences too. Now we’ve already pointed to effect several times. So that’s my view, and that’s something I’ve been thinking about for years in decision theory and so on, that exactly that is, so to speak, and that’s exactly what sits underneath Watzlawick’s foundation basically, that you don’t not decide, so to speak, but that you don’t decide consciously. That’s actually what it’s about. When we discuss that, it just means, okay, I couldn’t consciously behave in a certain direction I would have liked to behave in. Now, honestly, I’ve forgotten a bit what I wanted to connect to with Sabine.
That was about the political context again. Maybe that helps as a keyword, dear Frank? I think the question ultimately went in the same direction. And because that was the example now, with Scholz and so on. Yes, and then procrastination. I think that with what I just addressed in general, I think I’ve also already answered what the question was in the political area, I think, Sabine, if I need to, I can pick that up again.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. And, Frank, you’re not with us in the rooms quite as often. Maybe just briefly as a note, also helpful for me in moderation, if you want to connect to something, always briefly raise your hand too, then I’ll see that and
make sure I also keep going back to the order and so on. I know there’s sometimes a direct connection. Maybe you could write down a keyword too, or really try to remember the point. I’ll gladly always give you the opportunity too. But it’s helpful for me as a moderator if not everyone starts connecting directly all at once, so I can structure the whole thing a bit, so to speak. Sabine, feel free to connect here first, to see if you want to formulate your question to Frank again too. If a question comes to Frank here again, I’d like to give Frank the opportunity first, so he can connect directly too. And then I saw that Marc definitely wants to add something too, and Layla maybe too. Then I’ll gladly give Layla the opportunity too, right after. Sabine?
No, Frank answered that really well. I don’t quite agree with him, but I’ve understood what he means.
Okay, alright. Thank you so much. Then I’ll continue with Marc, and then Layla.
Yes, I’d like to respond to Sabine too, and to the rooms we had before. And my favorite saying is always — I assume Sabine too, like me, we’re emotionally touched by all the topics we have. But assumption is the enemy of truth, and from what’s learned. Just because someone doesn’t act immediately, and we don’t know all the reasons why they don’t, you can’t then say to the enemy — sorry, that they’re not acting at all, but they’re maybe acting quite deliberately, as Frank explained. The reasons don’t have to be comprehensible for me. And then the same thing Frank explained, that’s how I understood him too, that non-action is also a conscious decision to act, namely to act differently than the other person expects of us. And that, of course, that’s my last point, that this “you’re not acting” from our counterpart, not just on political sides, but also in the partnership area and in the business area, is often used as a weapon — I don’t want to say that — but also as leverage, to say, hey, you’re a person who doesn’t act at all. Then I can say, how would you know that? I acted, namely in my own way, whether that’s right or proves to be right. That’s how, I also understood Frank, that will only be proven again in the future. But acting doesn’t mean, when people tell us, go on, act — often there’s a background there too, often there’s leverage behind it too, that people also want us to act the way they’d like.
I’d really like to bring in an example there. I find great, great examples. And I have to think of this and smile right now. You of course won’t know exactly what it’s about. Sometimes, when I get messages, sometimes it’s really that I don’t have time to answer beforehand or something, quite often actually. But sometimes it’s also that someone quite deliberately doesn’t get an answer from me, and maybe thinks then, it slipped through, or whatever. But I quite deliberately just leave it hanging in the room sometimes. And that doesn’t mean I haven’t acted, but I’ve decided for something else, namely not to engage with it in this context, or to just leave it hanging in the room. And that alone triggers thinking processes in the other person too, for example. So that’s why I had to smile when I just heard that. I find that great. Now first Layla, and then gladly Frank.
Yes, I was just listening. I found it quite funny actually, because of a few impulses. The first impulse was, you might judge, it’s apparently moral, if someone doesn’t get into action, because we have in our heads, that’s another saying again, Yasemin, “he who rests, rusts.” You’re not trying hard enough, you have to act. What I was stuck on was what Frank had said. Frank, you explained that thoroughly and well, and I missed the Watzlawick reference. It’s just that for me, one thing plays out in the head, and the other is more something practical — action is always something really practical. What I was just considering was, on one hand, is there a difference between non-action, so standstill, and sitting it out. There I’d also not take Mr. Scholz in politics, but that was something attributed to Mrs. Merkel. Whether that’s actually the case or not, everyone can decide for themselves. I don’t want to judge that right now. What I’m getting at is, why do we use that? And I think this movement, we have that a lot in language. When we look forward into the future, that always has to do with movement, verbally too. And that’s actually what interests me — why do we call this action, this deciding, as you just named it, deciding not to decide is an action. But whether sitting something out, whether that’s a standstill or sitting it out, and whether that’s already an action, sitting something out and standing still, I don’t know. Because if I’m paralyzed, so in thought, not literally, then I’m not capable of action.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. And before Frank speaks, I’d like to bring in a pair of terms too. Active action or reactive action, and also whether that’s even within my sphere of influence, what I’m thinking about or what I want to tackle in this context — maybe those are also aspects we can briefly look at too, or at least have the terminology included, so we can pick it up again later. So it was important for me to bring in this terminology too. If anyone wants, they can connect again after Frank. And then we’d move into the closing round for today. Frank.
So, first the area of reaction is really big. I’d put that into a future episode. That’s definitely really important and really exciting too. But first, Layla, this practical action has to go through the head. We have to have thought about it. So, how action works without the head, I don’t see that. Which is why I’d already said earlier that this decision in the head is a necessity. And what I found helpful now with Marc, for the questions we raised earlier, was that Marc started talking about good and wrong. So about what’s right, about correct action. And that’s of course where morality or ethics comes in. So we need to distinguish between what I personally consider right, based on maybe an ideology or a system of ideas or things I’ve thought about, so my own decision-making processes, which are always influenced by the environment and the social space and so on. We just can’t take that away. So this completely free, own decision doesn’t exist at all. It’s always pre-influenced from the start, once we’re in life, by the values that exist around us. But the morally right is something that’s been negotiated over long periods of time — that’s time again — in the social space, so to speak, as the universally valid right, from which the right then also somehow derives into law. So, this correct action has come into play, which connects to this question of, what does moral or ethical action actually mean. But as I said, we’re running a bit low on time now, and the topics are really big.
Yes, wonderful, thank you so much. And that’s why we’re gathering everything today, so we don’t go into depth at all. Maybe another connection to what Layla just said, and which you also picked up, Frank, with this practical action, does it have to go through the head and so on. We’ll look at that again too. We said we have three overarching themes, because this complex is just so huge. We broke it down into reflection, as one overarching theme we covered. Then, as the second, we just freshly concluded yesterday, so to speak, thinking as an overarching theme. Now we’re looking at action as the third overarching theme, and then we’ll also look at these connections between each other. How are reflection, thinking, and action connected? And in this final phase, where we look at these interconnections again, we can also look at these aspects there, for example. Is that always a prerequisite? Does it have to go through the head and so on? What’s actually happening there, and how are these terms connected to each other too? And I’m really looking forward to that too. And to reduce the complexity, we’ll make sure we always look specifically at the sub-areas first, go into depth, and then open up again and re-establish the complexity, and then make the connections clear again too. So I find it great what all came together today. I’d actually now move into the closing round. If you have anything now where you say, I really need to get this off my chest, feel free to bring it in, and then directly a highlight from today’s room for you too, to underline that. In the order Marc, Sabine, Frank, Layla please. Marc.
Yes, I wish you all a really wonderful weekend, and the reason I was with you this morning is because it was simply important to me. That was an important reason why I got into action this morning, to come up on stage with Yasemin and with you. I wish you a great Saturday.
Great, thank you so much. Sabine.
Can you hear me?
We can hear you right now, yes.
Yes, yes, yes. A really great room. A few questions remain open for me today, but I’m sure they’ll resolve in the coming days, weeks. Especially what Frank just said, that decisions always only have to go through the head. I’d actually like to add, does it always have to go through the head consciously, or unconsciously? Then we’re at routines. So there are still a few question marks, but I have the weekend to think too. I wish you all a wonderful day. Thanks for the room.
Wonderful, thank you so much. Frank.
I’m really looking forward to the discussion about the unconscious, because of course it doesn’t have to be conscious, because we think about things in our sleep too, and that’s not conscious then. But I’ll leave it at that for the discussion with reflections, and I’ll need to look into the podcast, to see what was actually discussed in between.
Yes, great, thank you so much. Layla.
I was just considering, is thinking action? Yes, but is thinking action with a result? I noticed, though, I’m still a bit unsure. So, I’d be really interested in that. And whether we’re free or captive decisions, because Frank mentioned determinism, I find that a really important point too. And people have been thinking about that for a really long time. So, let’s see how one can answer that question, but I don’t think anyone has really come to a clear decision on that yet. Or nobody has it yet. So there’s no decision that has, across the whole world, found its message, to put it pathetically. Bye for now.
Wonderful, thank you so much. Dear all, I find this really great. So many aspects came together. Give us some time today, so to speak, to do the planning accordingly, to schedule aspects for the different rooms, pick them up in terms of terminology, and here, together, in the coming days, go into depth with you too, and above all look at which direction the individual rooms develop, what insights we can simply generate together for ourselves in exchange, in reflection, and what can be derived from that for us. Above all, not just in the context of action, but also against the backdrop that we want to bring these three terms I mentioned back together again, and look at the interconnections. I’m really curious. I think the next few days will be exciting. And tomorrow it continues, first with the digital campfire in the Deep Talk Club. And since we’ve now started with the new overarching theme, at the digital campfire I’ll bluntly go into my own stories, to pick up the term action, and use concrete examples to bring up one thing or another that I think could offer added value, provide impulses, and so on. So I’m really looking forward to welcoming you here again tomorrow morning at 8 too. And I’d like to use the opportunity to point out again, or keep pointing out, that we’re celebrating our thousandth show together on Wednesday. And a lot of things will be discussed there too. There’ll be the opportunity for you to bring in certain things from your side too, to reflect together again, and see where we actually stand right now. And above all there are various announcements that will be made too. So Wednesday is a really, really important date for everyone who regularly joins Deep Talk, whether every day or just now and then. So, whoever can make time, please be sure to join on Wednesday at 8, to make sure we can go through all the current information together in exchange, and consider and pick up one thing or another together too, and maybe against this backdrop give ourselves a good foundation too, to make further decisions that concern the Deep Talk Club accordingly. With that, I wish you a wonderful weekend, whatever you have planned for today. Start off well, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning’s digital campfire. Until then. Ciao.
