Watch Out! This Solution Too Could Be A Problem Soon!

 

Solutions! Really?

The earth is infested with discarded PET bottles and plastic carry bags. Bobbing along waves, choking waterways and making up most of landfills, each piece a folly of mankind. Micro plastics have invaded potable water and aqua marine food source and our existence contaminated. Plastics, once touted as the solution to many a problem, have become the most pervasive environmental risk! Solution becoming a problem?

Computers determine how we live, whether we use it ourselves or not. It is deployed even to influence our thoughts and emotions, thereby dictating our choices and actions, in ways beyond what we can fathom. Nothing is beyond the reach of these binary logic machines. While we enjoy benefits of information technology applications, we also suffer unstoppable loss of privacy and hopeless dependence. Control of mankind is slowly coming to rest at the mercy of these machines. Once purely meant for mathematical applications, they now evoke both awe and shock with what it can do. Just one machine and a pair of mad hands, things could truly go haywire! Another solution becoming a problem?

National and international politics, business, economics, science, governance, in fact every possible field relevant to human existence has a history of problems incarnating as solutions.

You think it is restricted only to such mega issues?

Take a close look at one’s personal life!  

Many current problems might have roots in those very solutions that one might have adopted. Toxic relations, broken marriages, financial losses, stress and strain and maybe every personal problem could be the by-product of a ‘solution’ adopted.

Can’t find it? Maybe one is not looking close enough.

 

Longevity of Solutions

Solution is an answer to a problem, the means chosen amongst available or generated choices to mitigate a situation. Both, the process of generating choices and choosing one amongst them, are input dependent and time relevant. To a large extent it depends on our understanding of the problem, its root causes and implications. Longevity of the solution’s relevance depends primarily on the designer’s ‘etiognosis - diagnosis- prognosis’ skills.

Change inputs, solutions differ. Change time coordinates solutions become irrelevant. It is impossible to create fit-all solutions relevant for all times to come. Does it mean that, there are no perfect solutions? Yes; almost impossible.  Then what?

 

Designing Solutions

There is always the probability of having missed an input or a chance to get more inputs about the problem at hand. Waiting for all possible inputs to emerge for designing solutions could indefinitely delay finalising solutions and render it irrelevant. Inadequacy of inputs and urgency of situations are challenges to finding solutions. Securing acceptance and implementation is no less challenging.

Ability to diagnose problems and pinpoint causative factors help understand situations. Most have it in fair measure, or so we think. Prognostic skills help visualise how situations unfold in time. Most claim to have it, so they think. Application of the three skills helps us design practical solutions. Solutions that transcend time make visionaries out of mortals who designed them. But, not even the best solution is timeproof.

Solutions that reap instant relief, receive instant traction, wide acceptance and garner followers to defend. But over time, popular support notwithstanding, efficacy of solutions diminishes and flaws become glaring and undefendable. Even the best thought solution could sometime become a problem by itself.

Why do solutions become problem?

 

Confirmation Bias?

A solution becomes a problem, when it has lost its relevance but is still allowed to continue its redundant existence. Circumstances that necessitated its birth would have long ceased to exist but solutions continue to persist. Local, regional, national and international landscapes are littered with such solutions.

Persistence to continue with it rather than discarding it might be due to economic, political administrative or other compulsions. The whole world knows about plastic-contamination. Yet, we continue producing it by the tonnes each day. Why? Economic and political reasons? Greed and inability? Inertia or fear? Personal problems likewise have definite reasons. Why not reconsider? Ego or inability? All listed and unlisted reasons are fuelled by confirmation bias, cognitive in nature.

Prevalent all over and residing in all of us, confirmation bias is powerful enough to create and sustain disputes and misunderstandings. We tend to favourably reason for what we, believe in, are used to, support or hold sacred. Though there could be serious flaws in what we believe in, support or practice, we tend to be blind to its cons and deaf to reasons against, often knowingly. Confirmation bias lethally compromises our etiognosis-diagnosis-prognosis skills. Since society, as a matter of contemporary practice responds aggressively to opinions that do not conform to those held by the voice of the powerful, confirmation bias, the easy safe way ahead, thrives.

 

Beat The Bias

Success of the Wright brothers is attributed to their ability to endlessly argue, but constructively, about what each thought and believed in. This essentially snuffed out confirmation bias. Ruthlessly contested ideas gave wings to their dreams.

Ideation unless vigorously contested, tend to be short-sighted, flawed and hence hopelessly short-lived. Allurements or fear of repercussions keep things going till they can persist. Eventually they fall apart. Ideologies, and empires have fallen.

The best way for a solution to remain relevant for long is to remain linked to times. That necessitates changes as per diktats of changing inputs. Solutions are mere inanimate processes. The key lies with the man behind it!

 

Give It Up

It is human to be emotionally attached to ideas and decisions, though it may not be the best way forward. Normally we don’t take kindly to criticism of our ideas. It is often considered a personal affront. With career, livelihood or even existence at stake, most do not express reservations. Many use the opportunity to curry favours and harvest benefits by singing praises. Wisdom easily differentiates!

If one is willing to throw ideas to the wolves, the best would survive. The easiest way is to detach oneself from one’s own ideas. Willingness to accept existence of better view and perception helps everything but ego. It needs us to tune into actively listening without being hurt. It needs us to dissent without hurting. Craving for success and its ownership is better served if solutions emerge post contest.  

It can happen, only if we are willing to give up ownership of our ideas!

Points to Ponder

Why do societies continue with  discriminative practices although everyone speaks against it? 

Why do people preach but not practise?

Inability? Convenience to few  at the cost of others?

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