Plato and Aristotle ... solvin' some problems.
Most problems are easy to solve. The solution leaps into your head the instant you understand the nature of the problem. In the course of our day we might solve a dozen, or even a hundred smallish problems (unclogging, plugging in, restarting, mediating, debugging, delegating, etc.). It’s one thing our giant brains evolved to excel at.
But every once in awhile we run into a real doozy — a problem so difficult or intractable that it truly stumps us. Maybe we’re half a million in debt, with no income to speak of. Maybe we have a chronic illness that has proven resistant to medicine and lifestyle changes. Maybe the behavior of a client, significant other, or family member has escalated to red alarm level — they’re destroying us or themselves and they’re out of control. Maybe we’ve invaded a country on false pretenses and now we’re stuck there and it’s costing us lives and billions of dollars. No easy solution springs to mind. What’s the best approach?