Define the problem

Why is it so hard to put into words what the problem is? And when done, why do few people agree on it? And when agreed, even fewer agree on the solution for it?

It is incredibly hard to separate opinion from fact when describing what we see as humans. The stories we tell ourselves (and maybe even believe) are just that – stories. Someone else with a different story (based on another agenda?) might convince us to believe in it. As a friend said to me yesterday, there’s a fine line between influence and manipulation, and often we have no idea what it is.

Some people appear adept at defining problems. Some others are adept at persuading others that their definition of the problem  is the only one, and investing time, money, and effort to solve that is the right thing to do.

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Something related from an article by Venkatesh Rao:

The wholes are too big to fit in a single human mind, and the physical embodiments are too vast to capture even on a single map, let alone in a single photograph.

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Note to self: I struggle with problem definition all the time. I tend to sleep on it. Often, that helps clarify fact from fiction. More often, the problem isn’t even there. Why don’t you do that sleep thing  more often?

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It’s been a dreary day and no walk possible in this weather