It should not come as a surprise, to anybody that has one, that the human brain is an incredibly complex system. Systems in general have parts that are often both interconnected and interdependent. These parts work together, in the case of the brain, to "compute" the solutions to many challenging problems in our everyday lives. Every day, the brain system processes a vast amounts of raw information. The brain takes in that raw information, evaluates it, and produces outputs that take the form of thoughts (conscious, subconscious, unconscious) and actions (voluntary, involuntary, automatic). Whether or not our brains produce outputs derived strictly from computation, the ability to manipulate information and solve problems is what enables humans (and other animals) to survive in complex and chaotic environments. As we go about our daily lives, we encounter problems of all kinds and sizes, and then we work to find solutions to them. These solutions are often awe inspiring. Without a doubt, the brain is the most advanced general problem-solving machine in existence (sorry AI). Nothing compares to it! Due to the brain's exceptional abilities to solve problems, we often take this system for granted, largely because the brain is so well adapted to ensuring our survival. In spite of this, the brain's remarkable abilities come at a price, a price which most complex systems of interconnected and interdependent parts will pay at some point: They sometimes develop problems of their own! They break down, encounter processing errors, or are missing a critical part (or information). As a final thought, consider this: What happens when the "machinery" of the brain (or what is referred holistically to as the "mind"), a general problem-solving system itself (among having many other functions), develops problems? A complex system, indeed...
Personal Note
Dear readers, welcome back! Those who subscribe here may have noticed I have not published a "newsletter" for a while: During this time I have been conducting research and writing my upcoming book on problem solving. My "sabbatical" was also spent planning and developing a course on advanced problem solving techniques. While absent from writing this newsletter, I really missed connecting with my subscribers. Additionally, my sincere gratitude goes out to all of you for your encouragement regarding the content I have been writing about over the past twelve newsletters. Finally, I sincerely appreciate your continued interest in learning about problem solving: Your enthusiasm helps provide inspiration for future editions. I would also like to extend my greetings to all the new readers who I know will spread the word about this newsletter and the advantages of understanding problem solving to become a better problem solver.
Future Individual Newsletters Will be Shorter
As a result of the complexity of the topic and my commentary, many of the past newsletters I have written covering specific problem-solving topics were lengthy (nearly or over two thousand words). Moving forward, I will break up and condense each problem-solving topic into three parts (three separate newsletters).
The newsletters (parts) will be able to stand alone, but will also relate to the other two parts. Each part will be shorter than previous newsletters. As a result of this brevity, I hope readers who do not have the time to read a long newsletter all at once will be encouraged to read future editions. Additionally, I believe that future editions featuring this three-part structure will facilitate learning and absorbing the material by breaking it down into smaller, more digestible sections. In the first part, I will discuss the background and introduction to the topic. In the second part, I will discuss and comment on the core issues. In the third part, I will summarize and conclude. This method has the advantage of allowing me to post more frequently, while keeping each newsletter's word count lower. It is my hope that I have addressed and solved the "length" problem that some subscribers may have had previously.
Last but not least, these newsletters are not structured like a problem solving course, since they do not cover a predetermined set of topics. Instead, they are my own personal opinions concerning a wide range of ideas related to problem solving.
Problem Solving is Everywhere
Problem solving, as I have mentioned in previous newsletters, is a broad and deep topic, far beyond what most people are aware of. In almost every scientific field, every business, every academic endeavor, and in every aspect of daily life, problem solving is a crucial skill. The mastery of problem solving has been critical to human progress in almost all disciplines and scientific endeavors, in conjunction with analytical and creative thinking, decision making, and strategy.
The concept of problem solving is sometimes categorized as a component of (cognitive) psychology, mathematics, or critical thinking in general. In spite of this, it should be noted that problem solving, despite its reliance on critical thinking (among other skills), also has its own techniques and methodologies. Critical thinking may be considered to be a more general skill, but problem solving should be considered equally important to the ability to think logically. No amount of logical thinking will guarantee that complex problems will be solved. It takes more than that. Problem solving is the “more”; it combines logic, decision making, creative thinking, and strategy. In fact, problem solving, as noted and written elsewhere, is as much an art as a science.
Problems and Systems
Propositions:
1) Problems are often the result of broken systems.
2) Understanding the relation of problems to their place in a larger system is a critical part of the problem-solving process.
One definition of a system is that it is a collection of interconnected parts that work together from given inputs to generate an output or outputs (which may be further used by that system or other systems as input for separate outputs).
The majority of problems that you encounter in your everyday life, whether in business, at work, in school, or even in your personal life, are not isolated; they are influenced by many external factors, some known, some unknown. As a result, the majority of problems cannot be solved in isolation without also missing the problem's "core."
Every person, animal, being, or life-form, along with most material “things” that are not alive, even including those intellectual edifices we use to describe and understand our universe, exist as parts of many different systems.
Problems arise when there is a fault, error, or unknown in a given system, where progress thus becomes impeded. Even if everything were known about a particular system, faults do occur, since the error-free consistency of operational parts of systems cannot be guaranteed in all but the most basic cases. Furthermore, even in subjects (systems) like mathematics, problems are sometimes unsolvable in any reasonable time.
Problem Solving History in Mathematics
The fantastically brilliant mathematician and logician Kurt Gödel (a contemporary of Albert Einstein at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University) confronted a deep problem in mathematics, and subsequently showed that, at least in formal logic (a system), mathematics, based on that logical substratum, is itself both incomplete (not all mathematical statements can be proven within that system) and inconsistent (the logical consistency of the system cannot be proven within itself). Simply put, there may be unknowable truths in mathematics that cannot be deduced from the statements (or logical/mathematical rules) in that framework AND certain logical inconsistencies that cannot be resolved within the field. This proven fact presents many related questions, and obviously is quite A BIG PROBLEM in mathematics, as one might imagine. One could say it leaves all mathematics on a shaky foundation. The reasons his work is true are complex, the methods he used are genius, and the implications are profound. Not surprisingly, many books have been written on Gödel’s work, so the above explanation is the briefest of summaries.
Gödel solved a deep problem in the foundation of mathematics by using very creative problem-solving techniques.
So What?
There is truth to the idea that almost everything is interconnected through a network of larger systems.
The major takeaway here is that the existence of problems is caused by or can be traced to a breakdown (a fault, error, or lack of knowledge) somewhere in a larger system. Problems can arise in near isolation, but that is a rarity, and almost always those problems occur in quite simple, static systems. Dynamic (changing) systems are especially prone to problems, since the evolution of time, changing local and global conditions, and correlated events have an overall impact on operational performance. Even completely understanding certain systems, or how they function is in itself a problem. Complex systems breed complex problems!
Understanding the origin, nature, and functioning of systems can be crucial in attempting to solve problems in related domains.
The Problem Solving Process and Systems
As part of the problem-solving process, we can 1) attempt to understand how a problem may be related to a broken system, and 2) how an unknown part of a system may be impeding our progress towards a theoretical solution.
Systemic Problem Solving (SyPS) is the method of seeing problems through the lens of interrelated system components, and solving those problems based off characteristics of that particular system, not just attempting to solve problems in isolation. This holistic method is not to be confused with the step-by-step Systematic Problem Solving (SPS) technique, which attempts to tackle problems through a systematic (do this-do that) approach.
SyPS works as follows: A car may not start. That for you may be a problem. The insight is that the “starter” is part of a larger system of an automobile’s components. It is not some isolated piece - it is a connected mechanism to the rest of the car; that is, there could be an issue with that piece of equipment only, or there could be a larger systemic issue with other systems. Without this type of expansive viewpoint, some problems are treated with “band-aid” solutions.
Wrap-up
In the next newsletter (Part 2) on contemplating problems as the result of a broken or unknown functionality of a system, I will be discussing systems more in depth, and how systems relate to problems and problem solving in many different areas.
I will also introduce what Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is, discuss how it works, explore its scope, evaluate its usefulness, and relate it to the Systemic Problem Solving method.
Hoping that you have enjoyed reading this introduction to viewing problems not just in isolation, but rather as a piece of a larger “puzzle” or system. Even though this viewpoint may not directly lead to a solution to your problems, having this understanding may suggest new approaches!
Happy Problem Solving!
Evan J. Sillings