Problem Solving

​Over eons of evolution, Mankind as a species has developed a highly sophisticated aptitude for problem solving, which has allowed primitive primates with sticks to grow into the scientist and engineers of modern technology.
But this is largely confined to the inorganic or nonliving world. Electrons, metallurgy, this
When it comes to problem solving with living things; ecosystems, medical issues, other human beings, we are not so sophisticated.
Our tendency for problem solving tends to begin and end with eliminate the problem, or kill it. As a species, when it comes to killing being the solution we are fantastic.
The amount of brilliance unearthed in pursuit of weapons technology is staggering. When it comes to medicine if we can identify a foreign invader we can kill, that disease is as good as cured.
But when killing isn’t the obvious or most viable solution, we really struggle.


Whether it is a malfunctioning gadget or foreign relations, Often our problem solving paradigm appears to be..

1. ​Kill it
2. Tolerate it/Ignore it
3. Change it
4. Cooperate/ work with it as it is.

1. Change

Given the amount of wasted resources and destruction this line of thinking has resulted in,
I humbly submit.......


What if we flipped this paradigm on its head?


First we always try to cooperate or work with it as it is.
If cooperation doesn’t work then we try to change it into something we can work with.
Only if we can’t change it do we try to tolerate it or just ignore it.
And only after we’ve done those three steps do we consider killing or eliminating the problem.