Let’s face it, there will always be problems in our lives and our country that need to be addressed. When they arise, we need to look at the situation clearly and honestly.

We need to consider what role our actions play in the problem. Thus, objectivity and discipline are needed to properly define the problem.

But the biggest problem is defining a problem. Too often, our solutions are targeted on the wrong problems or a distorted view of a problem.

Consider that our ineffectiveness might not be an issue of how we address the problem but that we never really focus on the true problem or situation.

We seem to always kid ourselves. Maybe it’s too difficult to face the truth. Maybe it’s too real for us. Or maybe we just want the easy way out.

In today’s world most problems have complex causes, and thus will require complex solutions. It’s kind of like general systems theory about control systems – to be effective, the complexity of the control system must at least be equal to the complexity of that which is being controlled. The same goes for problems and solutions in our personal lives and nationally.

Without this approach, we will misidentify a problem, concoct an inappropriate solution, and take the easy way out thinking we have solved something when we haven’t. We may have even made it worse.