You are rewarded by the size of the problem you solve.

"You are paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of the problems you solve." --Elon Musk So get very good at solving very HARD problems.

Life gives us problems, relentlessly, one after the other. All of us are so blessed, though dubiously. Some are economic, some social, some political, some financial, some family, some of power, and some of just everyday living. We need to solve these problems, or at least resolve them to an end. Long ago, and in many talks, I advocated the entire schools’ curriculum, from history to math, from English to cooking, be problems based. So important is problem-solving, those that cannot construct problem solutions are almost totally lost. More simply, those that cannot solve their problems are at a serious disadvantage.

There are many problems for the many people. All have their unique signature and style. All have their own techniques for solution. This accounts for the fact that the physics genius may be fully incompetent at everything else.

The problem with problems is just how many there are, and more importantly how different they are. You may be a math whiz, but if you can’t figure out how to “fit in” to a social situation, you are relegated as something of a geek. If you can dance through social situations but cannot understand simple political ruminations, you are something else – a geek of another color. No matter what your vocation or avocation, you live through your problems and how you solve them. Many do not even consider their lives as a series of problem-solving events, but in a brief reflection it is certain they are there, with you constantly, requiring your time, requiring your consideration, and all requiring some sort of action.

When there is a problem at hand, there is usually a method for solution. But what are the rules for the solution? The consummate lawyer may simply be unable to solve a problem of human relations; the mathematician may not be equipped to solve a problem of the law; the psychologist may not have the tools to even consider new zoning ordinances. You need to know and understand the rules of engagement, and that is but one factor. Another is that you need to know what information is in play. Still another, you need to know how to apply your knowledge.

We come to the concept of “geekness,” which implies you have skill at one set of problem-types but relative incompetence at others. I suppose most of us are “geeks” in this measure of the word. Many of us consider ourselves to be problem solvers, though our skills are often applied in situations where our methods do not work. We have computer geeks, social geeks, political geeks, auto geeks, and geeks of every type in the mix.

What kind of geek are you?

Problem-solving is many things, particularly in what it means and to who is solving the problem. It is loaded with self-negating factors. It is a subject well beyond critical thinking as currently regards, though less taught. Problem-solving is not a pure discipline. It is a philosophy, an art, a method, and more. Problem-solving involves ·

• Logical aspects – deduction and induction·
• Analytical aspects·
• Complex scenarios·
• Contradictory knowledge – fighting against what you think you know·
• Multiple solutions – the bane-of-banes·
• Contradictory solutions – damned if you do, …·
• Emotional aspects
• Intuition – just a sense, truly important
• Abduction – that great leap (making the best guess from available information)

Indeed, finding one solution often leads to new problems requiring further problem-solving. It may lead to the discovery of a better solution. The discovered solution may be unsettling; it may reveal there are underlying unknowns not previously considered. This gives problem-solving an iterative nature.

Merely considering what problems political leaders must confront exemplifies the multi-faceted nature of problem-solving. Problems confronting our leaders transcend anything we see in school classes, where there are usually sensible solutions – even in English literature classes. Problems are so diverse as to obscure a simple description, much less a method for solution.