First Blog

  Problem-Solving - Fear 1. Introduction . Fear is one of our most powerful emotions, sometimes reducing one person to ignominy, sometimes elevating another to unexpected heights. Nations can perish out of fear. Companies may fail because of fear. Normally, the outcome depends essentially on the ability to or fear to solve problems. Fear can play a significant role in problem-solving, influencing both the process and the outcome. Many, many books and films have essentially addressed fear, with some fear being the dominant focus. It is a complex emotion that can manifest in various ways, potentially either hindering or enhancing an individual's ability to solve problems effectively. 2. Hindrance and Avoidance. Fear can lead to overthinking and excessive analysis, which may result in "paralysis by analysis." When someone is afraid of making the wrong decision, they may hesitate to take any action at all, leading to stagnation and inaction. Fear can cause people to avo

  The Emotions of Problem-Solving Let your emotions be your guide. Your emotional mindset is important when problem-solving, from the child to the highly-ranked adult. Learning to solve problems is also a matter of having the right emotions about problems. We all have various motions about problems, many of the everyday variety but also some very complex problems that are part of your workday. The list below discusses various emotions about problems concerning prospects for solving them – and even what solutions you provide. This list is important to all of us, but especially so for instructors trying to teach their students how. ·         If you fear the problem, this can be your defeat or greatest motivator to solve it. ·         If you make the problem your enemy, then solving it means its defeat. ·         If the problem becomes your friend, then solving it cements the friendship. ·         If you love the problem, this usually means you have that glimmer on how to solve it. ·  

  Problem-Solving -  Beyond Impossible There is no problem the mind of man can set that the mind of man cannot solve. ― Samuel Johnson Figure 1. Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) Introduction. What can possibly be beyond impossible in problem-solving? It would seem that the “impossible” is as far as we can go. Yet, there is a nether region where the “beyond” modifier finds its place.   If you recall Johnson’s quote, it may be from the 1946 Sherlock Holmes movie, “Dressed to Kill” starring Basil Rathbone.   It does make you think, but it also gives you hope. It gives us hope we can solve anything we come across.   It gives hope we can ultimately answer every question – though some solutions may take more time than others. Unfortunately, Dr. Johnson was wrong. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was known for saying, “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it”. This is similar, after a fashion, to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus who told us “No man ever steps

Problem-Solving - Obsession Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end. Henry David Thoreau, Walden, "Economy," 1854.   Introduction . Many facets of problem-solving are well-known and understood. They range from vast knowledge to critical thinking, to intuition, to insight, and to experience. Today, we add a characteristic, though an important ingredient. It’s more like a condiment-to-food, or a sauce to a delicacy. It’s needed though sometimes not essential. It is mostly helpful with big problems, difficult problems, or imossible problems. It is the quality of obsession. Each of us has experienced obsession in one form or another and is often relieved when the problem is solved. One literally leaves oneself becoming an engine driven to resolve the matter. Obsession is an all-consuming state of mind, possessive, jealous of distractions, and impervious to interruptions. T

  Problem-solving Rules. Few of us solve math or engineering problems in our lives. Yet, for almost all of us, problem-solving is a way of life, No matter whether they be problems at home or in the board room, this is what we do most of the time. It is important to know that high-information and low-information problems can be the worst, the former because of the rigor required to solve them, and the second because often assumptions or intuition are needed to proceed.  These rules are for everyday problems outside of science, where the rules are more rigorous, but more straightforward. Everyday problems are usually more difficult, in that multiple solutions are possible.  • Review and assess all information available.  • Always state clearly the problem to be solved. Vagueness is not allowed.  • Use only accepted methods. No “miracles” are permitted.  • Eliminate personal desires and emotions in your analysis, if possible. • Never solve the given problem by creating a new an

 In this chapter, we take up the character of the problem-solver. Their task is not a simple one. First, we look at 11 traits of the problem-solver, from being analytic to decisive, from being resilient to open-minded, and so on. (Section 2.)  Yet, the story is not as simple as that. There are pitfalls and risks owing to bias and other forms of subjectivity. (Section 4.) Remarkably, some of these are new on the scene in both psychology and philosophy. Even the way the problem is presented can affect the outcome and solution. In between we take up the paradox of incompetence – a massive problem we live with day after day, year after year. Introduction Characteristics of the Problem-Solver The Problem-Solving Paradox What Can Go Wrong? Conclusions. Link. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/g-donald-allen-420b0315_characteristics-and-pitfalls-of-the-problem-solver-activity-7081938526518317056-QzGm?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

The Eight Stages of Understanding . Problem-solving is a broad category of intellectual activities. It requires knowledge of multiple sorts as outlined below. It is part of the pyramid of understanding, but a seriously important part. However, most of us can have successful careers having only problem-solving skills. Higher-order understanding is more significant in the world of theories and ideas, the meaning of solutions, and how they fit into the intellectual scheme. The list below is reminiscent of Bloom’s Taxonomy, but refined for our purposes. One of our tools for problem-solving, used by all, is at the very base. One can’t know everything, and we’re never protected from it. Thus ignorance, and how we deal with it, is in everyone’s world. ·         Ignorance:  lacking knowledge or awareness. ·         Awareness: awareness that there is something unknown or not understood. ·         Knowledge: acquisition of factual information and concepts related to the subject. ·         Compre

  Dream States At this point, with most of the well-defined problem-solving techniques explored (in a previous post), we delve into the great known unknown, the mind’s secret weapon, the dream.   Therein lies a power most certainly unknown. Let’s begin at the movies. What happens when you watch an intense movie late at night?   Your mind is absorbed in the pictures, dialogue, and sounds of the film.   Your mind still dwells on these, computing, digesting, and ruminating on all of these even into sleep. In your dreams, your subconscious mind recalls all these thoughts but convolutes them as only dreams can. Maybe you wake up with yourself a part of the distortion. Maybe, you make it through the night of restless sleep but your wake troubled. Dreams fade quickly, happily.   Has this happened to you?   To me, many times. As a pre-teen, my dad took me to the movie, The Man with the Atom Brain .   The imagery and plot of that movie stayed with me for years. Welcome to one aspect of cr

Learning is the goal of schools.  Yet, learning has its own components: memory, understanding, application.  The first step, memory, precludes all others.   A person with no memory of the “something” can never learn much about it. From memory, a student has a chance of understanding through various mechanisms, not the least important of which is analogy through previously understood concepts.   Thus, understanding is a bootstrapping process. But now comes the most important stage of learning, and that is problem-solving.   We   conclude… The greatest learning engine is problem-solving.  Give a lecture and only a fraction remember. Call for a group discussion and more remember.  Ask them to solve a problem, and all remember - and learn.