---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The engineers wanted us to be able to…"
description: "\"“The engineers wanted us to be able to blow the booby traps we found so others wouldn’t get killed. Some guys really got off working with explosives. I..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16f/ed-kugler-28049_weird-things_the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-bl_1948132.jpg"
---

#  The engineers wanted us to be able to blow the booby traps…

![“The engineers wanted us to be able to blow the booby traps we found so others wouldn’t get killed. Some guys really got off working with explosives. I mean, their eyes lit up, and they got all happy. It did weird things to people. It was interesting as hell to me, but I knew how dangerous that…” quote by Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16f/ed-kugler-28049_weird-things_the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-bl_1948132.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16f/ed-kugler-28049_weird-things_the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-bl_1948132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16f/ed-kugler-28049_weird-things_the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-bl_1948132.jpg)

> ““The engineers wanted us to be able to blow the booby traps we found so others wouldn’t get killed. Some guys really got off working with explosives. I mean, their eyes lit up, and they got all happy. It did weird things to people. It was interesting as hell to me, but I knew how dangerous that shit was.””

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Engineers enjoyed creating safe explosives, but the work carried inherent danger.

**In simple terms:** Creating explosives was fun yet risky.

Key Takeaway

Balance excitement with safety protocols.

Themes

engineering risk explosives team dynamics learning

Mood

reflective cautionary

Type

storytelling insightful

When to use this quote

- military training
- explosive ordnance disposal
- safety drills
- team building

Key Concepts

hazard management psychology of danger innovation skill development

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain safety under excitement?
- What training improves hazard awareness?

A Different Perspective

Adrenaline can cloud judgment, leading to accidents.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Booby Traps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/booby-traps-737310/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Explosives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explosives/) [Explosives Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explosives-mean-3144471/) [Weird things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird-things/) [Working Explosives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-explosives-3144470/)

## Related quotes

> [The authority of the civil defense ... issued a warning to the civilian population not to pick up any of those pencils because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/the-authority-of-the-civil-defense-issued-a-warning-to-the-civilian/)

[Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/)

> [“To avoid booby traps, stay away from bras.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/to-avoid-booby-traps-stay-away-from-bras/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“I'm an agent of Her Majesty's Secret Service. I do not do booby traps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/i-m-an-agent-of-her-majesty-s-secret-service-i-do-not-do-booby-traps/)

[Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/)

> [When something explosive is kept hidden away, a tension builds within that must ultimately be released.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/when-something-explosive-is-kept-hidden-away-a-tension-builds-within/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“Something, which the police called a bomb, had exploded in his shed. Investigations were begun, and the efforts of the authorities were soon to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-von-salomon/something-which-the-police-called-a-bomb-had-exploded-in-his-shed/)

[Ernst von Salomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-von-salomon/)

> [ On their own, each \[character\] is a victim of no importance. But when you bring them together, they become a dangerous weapon. Jeanne is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-chabrol/on-their-own-each-character-is-a-victim-of-no-importance-but-when-you/)

[Claude Chabrol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-chabrol/)

> [In Southern West Virginia we live in a war zone. Three and one-half million pounds of explosives are being used every day to blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-bonds/in-southern-west-virginia-we-live-in-a-war-zone-three-and-one-half/)

[Judy Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-bonds/)

> [How much do people really want to learn? I mean, some people get into a groove and they stay with it indefinitely. And what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/how-much-do-people-really-want-to-learn-i-mean-some-people-get-into-a/)

[Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/)

> [“So far my best plan would be to build a mountain of gasoline cans and explosives, stick a Property of US Government sign on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/so-far-my-best-plan-would-be-to-build-a-mountain-of-gasoline-cans-and/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [When a High Explosive shell bursts in fifteen feet and does you no damage, you can bet your sweet life you bear a charmed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/when-a-high-explosive-shell-bursts-in-fifteen-feet-and-does-you-no/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [“There are very few personal problems that can't be solved with a suitable application of high explosives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/there-are-very-few-personal-problems-that-can-t-be-solved-with-a/)

[Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/)

> [I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-think-music-in-itself-is-healing-it-s-an-explosive-expression-of-2/)

[Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/)

> [If you make a wrong move with explosives, it could be deadly. If you're there when they blow up the beach, you get blown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ramsay/if-you-make-a-wrong-move-with-explosives-it-could-be-deadly-if-you-re/)

[Jack Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ramsay/)

> [After the revolution of 1979, Iran embarked on a policy of sectarianism. Iran began a policy of expanding its revolution, of interfering with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adel-al-jubeir/after-the-revolution-of-1979-iran-embarked-on-a-policy-of/)

[Adel al-Jubeir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adel-al-jubeir/)

> [Human beings need community. If there are no communities available for constructive ends, there will be destructive, murderous communities... Only the social sector, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/human-beings-need-community-if-there-are-no-communities-available-for/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

## More by Ed Kugler

> [“I loved the guy. He was five feet seven inches tall, meaner than a bear with a sore ass, shaved his head bald, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/i-loved-the-guy-he-was-five-feet-seven-inches-tall-meaner-than-a-bear/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“I slid my hand back down his leg to his boot to get hold of the wire. Hood leaned down, and whispered, “Kug, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/i-slid-my-hand-back-down-his-leg-to-his-boot-to-get-hold-of-the-wire/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“He looked at me with a sly grin and said, “Kugler, Kugler—it’s just a war. Throw your shit together in the A.M. We’ll go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/he-looked-at-me-with-a-sly-grin-and-said-kugler-kugler-it-s-just-a/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“When the platoon got going, he’d act as the armorer. He offered us a choice of weapons. A Winchester Model 70, 30-06 was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/when-the-platoon-got-going-he-d-act-as-the-armorer-he-offered-us-a/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“Walking point was adrenaline drippin’ from your ears and a butt squeezed so tight you couldn’t drive a tenpenny nail up it with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/walking-point-was-adrenaline-drippin-from-your-ears-and-a-butt/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“Finally, after three long, hot, and dry weeks, we were at the end of training. We were snipers! Marine scout-snipers! DuBay chaired a formal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/finally-after-three-long-hot-and-dry-weeks-we-were-at-the-end-of/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“I divorced myself from the dead guy. I decided that life in Nam was just that way. Whatever emotions I had, needed a cement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/i-divorced-myself-from-the-dead-guy-i-decided-that-life-in-nam-was/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“He continued yelling and screaming, calling us scumbags and maggots. He even said, “You are mere pimples on the face of humanity.” I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/he-continued-yelling-and-screaming-calling-us-scumbags-and-maggots-he/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“In the annals of time, how many people had walked our earth as a sniper?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/in-the-annals-of-time-how-many-people-had-walked-our-earth-as-a-sniper/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“You will have few really close, real, relationships in life. Nurture them, protect them and honor them at all times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/you-will-have-few-really-close-real-relationships-in-life-nurture/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“I got over my wave of giving a shit and then regained my senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/i-got-over-my-wave-of-giving-a-shit-and-then-regained-my-senses/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“A bullet or two thudded into the soaked ground right next to me. My asshole froze, then jumped right up my throat as another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/a-bullet-or-two-thudded-into-the-soaked-ground-right-next-to-me-my/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“You will rarely have things go the way you planned. Just remember you're objective and keep on moving in that direction. Make do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/you-will-rarely-have-things-go-the-way-you-planned-just-remember-you/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“You're never as bad as you think you are and certainly never as good. Keep your head about you. Strive every single day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/you-re-never-as-bad-as-you-think-you-are-and-certainly-never-as-good/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

> [“I don’t know what the life force is and don’t have any use for religion. I do know that in the war business, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/i-don-t-know-what-the-life-force-is-and-don-t-have-any-use-for/)

[Ed Kugler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

[Explore all 19 Ed Kugler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/)

## More Engineers quotes

> [I had always assumed that the right way to do it was to these engineers, put them in offices by themselves with doors that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/i-had-always-assumed-that-the-right-way-to-do-it-was-to-these/)

[Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/)

> [Design is all about relationships. Unfortunately, many designers don’t fully appreciate this. Some of the best design work I’ve ever done was drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-burka/design-is-all-about-relationships-unfortunately-many-designers-don-t/)

[Daniel Burka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-burka/)

> [There is no demand for women engineers, as such, as there are for women doctors; but there's always a demand for anyone who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-clarke/there-is-no-demand-for-women-engineers-as-such-as-there-are-for-women/)

[Edith Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-clarke/)

> [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [The study of history and philosophy, accompanied by some acquaintance with art and literature, should be for lawyers and engineers as well as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/the-study-of-history-and-philosophy-accompanied-by-some-acquaintance/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [I'm going to be specific so you can render your verdict. Let's go to North Africa, she was the chief engineer of the disastrous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-m-going-to-be-specific-so-you-can-render-your-verdict-let-s-go-to/)

[Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/)

> [ \[An engineer's\] invention causes things to come into existence from ideas, makes world conform to thought; whereas science, by deriving ideas from observation, makes… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-mitcham/an-engineer-s-invention-causes-things-to-come-into-existence-from/)

[Carl Mitcham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-mitcham/)

> [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [Of course, I have given my engineers some headaches over the years, but they go with me. I have always wanted my buildings to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-niemeyer/of-course-i-have-given-my-engineers-some-headaches-over-the-years-but/)

[Oscar Niemeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-niemeyer/)

> [One out of every eight Pennsylvanians and one in every 720 people in the United States, as well as one out of every 50…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-sherwood/one-out-of-every-eight-pennsylvanians-and-one-in-every-720-people-in/)

[Don Sherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-sherwood/)

> [“In all other construction disciplines, engineers plan a construction strategy that craftmen execute. Engineers don't build bridges; ironworkers do. Only in software is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cooper/in-all-other-construction-disciplines-engineers-plan-a-construction/)

[Alan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cooper/)

> [Engineers love to optimize problems. Now I optimize logistical problems. I ask: 'What's the goal? What are our constraints? What is the optimal, elegant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruchi-sanghvi/engineers-love-to-optimize-problems-now-i-optimize-logistical/)

[Ruchi Sanghvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruchi-sanghvi/)

> [I've often thought that if planners were botanists, zoologists, geologists, and people who know about the earth, we would have much more wisdom in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-ve-often-thought-that-if-planners-were-botanists-zoologists/)

[William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/)

> [Everyone told me you can't build a major tech company in Canada. There just aren't enough investors or engineers or top-level managers. Each day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holmes/everyone-told-me-you-can-t-build-a-major-tech-company-in-canada-there/)

[Ryan Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holmes/)

> [Writers are engineers of human souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yury-olesha/writers-are-engineers-of-human-souls/)

[Yury Olesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yury-olesha/)

[Browse all 714 Engineers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The engineers wanted us to be able to blow the booby traps we found so others wouldn’t get killed. Some guys really got off working with explosives. I mean, their eyes lit up, and they got all happy. It did weird things to people. It was interesting as hell to me, but I knew how dangerous that shit was.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ed Kugler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-blow-the-booby-traps-we-found/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Engineers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-blow-the-booby-traps-we-found/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16f/ed-kugler-28049_weird-things_the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-bl_1948132.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16f/ed-kugler-28049_weird-things_the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-bl_1948132.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16f/ed-kugler-28049_weird-things_the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-bl_1948132.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The engineers wanted us to be able to blow the booby traps we found so others wouldn’t get killed. Some guys…” — Ed Kugler",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ed Kugler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kugler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The engineers wanted us to be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-blow-the-booby-traps-we-found/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kugler/the-engineers-wanted-us-to-be-able-to-blow-the-booby-traps-we-found/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
