As referenced recently by Barack Obama:
putting lipstick on a pig
"A term used by many, generally in reference to someone who may be trying to make something or someone look appealing or attractive when it quite clearly will not work, or will only deceive the dumbest of people."
- According to one author on the Urban Dictionary
So if the analogy works for political discourse, I wondered how it could be applied to the evaluation of ideas. I also wondered if there were good examples out there of ideas that are being smeared with lipstick, disguising their true value.
I think the source of some really bad ideas come as a result of picking a simple solution to a complex problem. It turns out, I only had to look in my own idea book for an example:
About a year ago I came up with an idea to solve the problem of insomnia in adults. It came to me one day when I was retelling a story to a friend about an apartment I lived in while working in Trenton, MO. My apartment there was below street level and had no windows. It was pitch black unless the lights were on and on many Saturdays I woke up around 1:00PM. So, I thought that if you could control the environment in which someone sleeps, they could enjoy a long, restful night. The idea was to create a special hotel that did just that. Sleep4Ever Inn, let's call it.
Of course this wouldn't be the place you stayed while visiting Disney World, in fact it could even be right down the street. Each room would have king size beds within a large pod that blocks out all light, sound, smells and reduces vibration. Only those wanted or supportive senses would be tingled at your discretion.
So the problem is a big one and it is an emotional one - perhaps worth a lot of money if it worked, right?
Where does the lipstick part come in?
My simple solution of controlling the environment sounds good but it tackles only one small aspect of what causes adult insomnia. According to eMedicineHealth there are three categories of insomnia with causes ranging from jet lag or excessive noise (I could have helped here) to serious medical issues like anxiety, depression, asthma and heart disease (no chance).
As you evaluate your own ideas, think about the problem you are trying to solve, how big it is and what portion of it you are addressing. Oh, and lay off the lipstick.
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