Common pitfalls encountered when solving problems

Each has its own methods regarding the general approach to troubleshooting, there are common pitfalls that no one seems to have passed. Our highly stereotypical way of thinking has been optimized to solve certain problems in the course of evolution, and this has come at a price. Of course, there are no templates that fit all life situations. But David Baptista reveals to us the essence of the three most common pitfalls, so that we can recognize them at the time of the inevitable meeting. And to behave correctly, that is - to make the right decision!

Direct speech of the author - to your attention. I would like to put forward a theory: these phenomena are connected with the very structure of thinking - our extremely stereotypical way of thinking was optimized to solve certain problems in the course of evolution, and it did not come cheap. Despite the interestingness of this issue, I will not give a study in this article of the study of the biological and physical roots of such phenomena. This is due both to the lack of my knowledge in this matter, and the purpose of writing this material. The only thing I really want is to uncover the essence of the three most common traps so that you can recognize them at the time of the inevitable meeting.
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If the few minutes spent reading this article saves at least someone from useless actions , then this will pay off my efforts.

As an astute reader can notice, most (but not all!) Traps are related to the peculiarities of thinking and the use of thinking strategies, excellently manifesting themselves in other cases, to solve unsuitable problems. For each trap, I will try to give an example as an illustration, and I am sure: many readers will remember that in the past they too plunged into a vain struggle with similar problems that seemed intractable. I would also like to note: in most cases it is necessary to find an equilibrium point, because for every trap there is an absolute opposite.

Taking into account all the above, I will start with a demonstration of a well-known way of thinking.

1st trap: I don’t see the forest behind the trees (“Why don’t you just walk to work?”)

We all know this proverb, suitable for situations in which people find themselves so passionate about the details of the problem that they lose sight of the full picture. Not surprisingly, this phenomenon is very common.

Let me explain: Imagine that you do not have a car, and you decided that it would be nice to get it, so as not to go to work every morning for 3 km. Reflecting this way, you start saving money on a car, perhaps even adding temporary employment to your main office, and you have a real chance to collect the necessary amount in a reasonable period.

However, the extra work hardly pays for itself, and you are practically torn between two posts! You tolerate this for several months, until a kind soul asks you about the causes of such problems. And after your story, she asks the question above.

So what's the trap here? The character of the story tried to solve the problem, expressed in the light discomfort caused by long daily walks. Starting to take the necessary steps for this, he found himself in a much more terrible situation and, worst of all, did not notice how far the current situation contradicted his original plan!

I am sure everyone faced a more or less harsh version of this problem. The trap is created due to two separate factors: the first is the usual pattern of thinking.

“Divide and conquer” is a well-known maxim and strategy that we apply instinctively (conditionally speaking; the question of whether it is actually a consequence of our instincts or arises in the process of education will be left to the interested reader).

It consists in dividing a major problem into sub-questions that we can handle. However, after losing the idea of ​​the original task, the actions become contradictory.

You can break what you want to strengthen; work more, trying to work less; or lose money, trying to save them.

The second factor is forgetting what you wanted to achieve at the very beginning. This can happen if the solution to a particular problem is very lengthy. The principle to avoid this is simple: always be sure that you know why you are doing this or that action. Otherwise, you can simply waste a lot of time and energy and, in the worst case, just being in a dead end, you realize that you were driving on the wrong road.

Of course, the other side of the coin is a really energetic guy who is trying to solve the problem of hunger on Earth overnight. The fact is that “divide and conquer” is actually a very useful strategy, and very many tasks would not have been solved without this simple but powerful maxim. You just need to constantly (or at least when despair comes!) To keep everything in sight.

Trap 2: Introducing Arbitrary Constraints (Gordian Knot Syndrome)

Gordian knot - a well-known myth: in the III century BC. e. the oracle predicted that one who could untie an extremely complex knot would become the ruler of Asia. Many tried, but no one completed the task until he came and Alexander the Great himself set to work.

He solved the problem by drawing the sword and cutting the knot in half. Another well-known option - the Columbus egg - a trick that even the wise men could not cope with. Columbus forced the egg to stand, slightly flattening its lower part (or, according to another version, fixing it on a small handful of salt).

Problems of this kind often confound even the most resourceful people (and there are many similar examples that have appeared in the leading research departments!). Such problems are difficult in their own right, and after the unconscious addition of restrictions (unnecessary!) To them, it becomes even more difficult to solve them, if not impossible.

Of course, stories always offer problems with a truly obvious solution; however, most often this trap appears differently. The most common scenario is this: an uneasy problem becomes even more difficult due to the limitations that have been independently introduced (albeit unconsciously) by those who solve it. This trap arises from bias (in the good sense of the word) or, abstracting, from the inductive process in general.

This feature of the thinking process allows us to make useful and practical conclusions (deduction never creates new information by itself), and also significantly increases the efficiency of our thinking by automatically removing the least likely scenarios. But at the same time, it can be the source of what seems to be an insoluble problem. As an example, consider this non-standard logical task:

Parents forbade the little girl to open the door to the basement so that she would not see what was not intended for her. One day, while mom and dad were not at home, she still opened the basement door. What did she see?

Think before you continue reading. Even if you do not find a solution, the main thing is for you to understand how our prejudices can turn into obstacles. Most readers will probably have trouble finding an answer. If not, congratulations: you are most likely to fall into this trap infrequently. The rest need to be alert.

So imagine that you are dealing with a problem that seems to have no solution. After a lot of torment, thinking about the task as such can be a wise act. Is it really so hard, or did you complicate it yourself? You will be surprised to know that the last is often true.

Meanwhile, the solution to the above problem is simple: the girl opened the door and saw a garden through the window. She never left the basement because her parents always kept her there. The key to understanding the problem is that the girl is in the basement, not outside.

This transition is very difficult for most - our patterned thinking invariably places it on the wrong side of the door.

3rd trap: Lack of an exact plan of action (“Why did I do this at the beginning?”)

And we got to the last (but no less often encountered) trap in solving problems. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), Everyone must constantly struggle with tasks that cannot be won without an initial plan. Only now society has become extremely impatient - so much so that many rush into battle with their bare hands.

The ability to plan is one of the greatest intellectual resources, and even the most advanced “intelligent” systems find it difficult to imitate this thinking process. However, we still try to avoid the full use of these skills: everyone talks about his "employment". The lack of a quality action plan is the main cause of waste of energy. So why not devote a little time to thinking about further actions, and not be convinced of their relevance?

I think this trap is often the result of an incorrect assessment of the complexity of the task. We are faced with a problem that seems rather simple, and we try to solve it right away (let's say we tried to fix a breakdown in the computer).

We think the task is easy, although in reality it is not. Wrong determination of the complexity of the problem is a common occurrence: evaluation may require the same effort as the task itself. The trap is that stubbornness often comes into play, and we continue to solve the problem without a plan - even having a clear idea about the true complexity of the problem by this point.
Of course, we will most likely stop a few hours later and make a plan.

To avoid this, when confronted with a more complex than expected problem, we should stop and reconsider our position and plans (even if we already have an excellent plan). This, of course, will take much less time and resources than the inevitable introduction of changes in the future.

The reverse side of the medal is an excessive propensity to analyze. There are many tasks that can be solved at once - and there is no need to waste time arranging a storm in a glass of water. But if you have been trying to eliminate the “simple” problem for 3 hours already, I assure you, this is not the case.

findings

I hope this short article will help readers avoid disappointments while solving everyday tasks. In general, the idea is as follows: patterned thoughts - just like emotions - are much easier to manage, understanding their type and causes.

The traps described here are very common, and I am sure that everyone was able to recognize personal traps that should be feared.

Analyzing these traps and finding out why and when they appear, as well as how to avoid them, is a short path to self-awareness and increased productivity, which, of course, is inversely proportional to frustration.

PS We recommend another article on the topic - 5 major mistakes or why your rational decisions do not work? .

Translated by Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult .