Solutions can be simple if you don't focus on problems
To be effective, don't overanalyze the problem
Budo’s chickens
Last week, I talked about a lesson Jupe had taught me. As I wrote that, I remembered another lesson he had taught me. To be sure, he didn’t mean to teach me anything, and I didn’t mean to learn anything from him either. It just happened that he had something worthwhile to say and what he said stayed with me for years afterwards. In one of our conversations, he said,
“People make their lives more complicated than is necessary.”
“How do you mean?”
“When people have problems, they don’t look for solutions. They talk about their problems and complain about them. This makes solutions harder to find.”
“How so?”
“You can see it for yourself. People say they can never be on time because of the traffic situation in the city centre. They will complain about how congested roads are getting. When they are late, they expect others to be sympathetic. Their focus is on the problem and not on the solution. And yet, all they need to do is to start 15 minutes earlier, and the problem is solved. Again, some shift workers complain about how cold it is in the early mornings when they must go to work. Why don’t they buy a heavy sweater and stay warm? Look around you. You will be surprised to see how many people get upset and complain about the problem when the solution is simple.”
“Do you think that’s how people act generally?”
“I think so. Take my friend, Budo. He bought a few chickens from the market yesterday. The seller shortchanged him by fifty shillings. He was so upset that he wanted to talk about this to anyone who would listen; he said all sellers are crooked and could not be trusted. He berated himself for not checking the change on the spot. I asked him if he had told the seller that he was shortchanged. He hadn’t. So, I walked with him to the market and told the seller that Budo was shortchanged. The seller apologized and said that sometimes he did make mistakes. He was sorry that it happened to his good customer Budo and immediately returned the money.”
I thought about it. Although I am reluctant to admit it, I, too, am guilty of focusing on the problems instead of the solution. After Jupe brought it to my attention, I was surprised to see how often I focused on the problem instead of finding a solution. Even more surprising was the fact that most solutions are simple. Things become complicated only because we fail to look for the often obvious solutions.
Again, Jupe was right. Most things we invest time in don’t deserve it. And, of course, the Stoics also had something to say about this.
1. Look for the direct way to solve the problem
When we are faced with a problem, we think that it shouldn’t have happened to us. We think it is unfair. We assign blame to someone else. We feel sorry for ourselves. None of these will solve our problem. The only thing that will solve our problem is looking at it directly and asking, “What is the direct way to solve this problem?”
Live according to your nature: follow the straight path which reason traces out for you. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 41
Marcus Aurelius confirms the wisdom of this advice.
The short way is the way of nature… Follow that and you will be free of anxiety and stress, compromise, and pretension. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.41
Think about Budo. He could have solved his problem by telling the seller he was overcharged and getting his money back. Instead, he got agitated and upset and insulted the seller. Then he went on to complain about it to his friends, whether they cared to know about it or not. Such behaviour creates anxiety and stress, and it is not the way of nature.
This is how nature works: The lion pounces on its prey quickly. Birds fly the shortest route. Water flows through the unobstructed path. It's all simple and direct.
When you face a problem, don’t ask, “Why did this happen?” Instead, ask, “What do I need to fix this problem?”
2. Take your focus away from the problem
Problems often overwhelm us, so we become fixated on them. This does not leave us room to focus on solutions. We can only find a solution when we take our minds off our problems.
The Stoics' strategy for diverting our attention away from the problem and towards a solution is derived from one of their basic principles. We should never worry about what happens to us (problem) because we can never control it. Instead, we should only concern ourselves with what we can do about it (solution), which is in our control.
Don’t demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. - Epictetus, Encheiridion, 8
So whenever something happens that you see as a problem, take your mind away from the problem, and look for a solution.
3. Focus on the solution
It is not hard to see that the direct way is the easy way. Yet, when we face a problem, we tend to focus on the problem rather than the solution.
If something unfortunate happens to us, we ask, “Why did this happen to me?” rather than, “What can I do about it?”
If we get into an accident, we say, “It was all the other person’s fault,” rather than, “What do I do next?”
If we miss a flight, we say, “I wish there were no traffic jams,” rather than, “What is the next available flight?”
Wondering why we have this or that problem instead of looking for solutions is no way to solve the problem. Problems will always be a part of our lives, like sawdust in a carpenter’s workshop or leather scraps in a shoemaker’s workplace. So, instead of complaining about a problem, we should look for a solution.
Is the cucumber bitter? Throw it out. Are their briars in your path? Go around them. That’s enough. Don’t add, “Why are such things in the world?” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.50
Or as Jupe said, “Are you shortchanged? Try to fix it by talking to the seller.” “Is it too cold in the morning? Wear a sweater.”
What can be simpler?
Takeaways
Life will always present us with problems. We waste time complaining about them instead of looking for a solution. When you face a problem,
Look for a direct way to solve the problem.
Take your focus away from the problem.
Focus on the solution.
Try this simple exercise
Think about a couple of problems you faced in your life. How much time did you spend worrying about what happened, assigning blame, or feeling sorry for yourself?
Now, imagine you are in the same situation. Focus on finding a solution rather than worrying about the problem. Can you see the difference?
Wouldn’t you have been better off if you had looked for a direct solution?
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180125
The 2 posts with Juno are incredible. The learning in them is so actionable… I could use them straight away in my job.