Most people look at the world and they see problems. They may see a variety of other things, but problems are a persistent problem in our perception of reality. To understand problems, it is vital to understand the origin of problems. This is quite simple — the source of problems is our perception which arises from the rational mind. Without the language to describe the problem, the problem doesn’t exist. This does not mean the situation disappears, but it is no longer a problem.
The Solution Problem
Based on past experience and learning, our minds are programmed to perceive and abstract reality into concepts that are known and familiar, and if possible, also comfortable for our psyche. Abstracting situations that cannot be understood into the category of problems is one of the most familiar and comfortable programs for people in the world today. This is because when we see things as a problem, we also have the programmed belief that we can find a solution. So it is easier for us to see things as problems — because our programmed self feels more comfortable knowing that there is a solution, even if the solution has not been discovered yet.
But to perceive a situation that cannot be comprehended or understood without abstracting it and labeling it implies uncertainty. And if your mind is not trained to deal with uncertainty it will use what it knows to fight the stress that is produced by an unknown and uncertain situation. Again we go back to the same mental response — “If I don’t understand it, it is a problem”. Can we be humble enough to accept that a situation beyond our intelligence may not be a problem?
Is The Solution Really A Solution?
Many times we find solutions for what we perceive to be a problem. But this solution has been found under the assumption that a problem existed in the first place. Even if the problem existed, how can we be truly certain that the solution we have found is going to fix the problem effectively without producing side-effects? This is one of the biggest problems with the way we solve problems today. We research solutions under programmed conditions of perceiving problems. And our solutions are increasingly leading to larger problems that are an amplification of the original problem.
We are attempting to solve health problems by addressing symptoms, many times by simply trying to suppress the symptom rather than even address it. And almost never are we trying to find the cause or the purpose of this so-called problem. Under these conditions, how is it ever going to be possible to break out of this endless cycle of situation-perception-problem-ineffective solution-situation-larger problem… ?
Going Beyond Problems
So we have reached a stage where we can realize that the problem may not actually be a problem. If a situation is not a problem, what else may it be? What would be this situation in the absence of your analytical abstracting mind? Can this limited mind be retrained to perceive situations as something other than a problem? Can we learn to access another part of our mind or consciousness that is comfortable in uncertainty? Can we learn to be humble enough to witness a situation and accept our lack of understanding? Can we surrender to the unconscious and trust that there is something more intelligent at play? Perhaps this is the doorway to a consciousness where we may actually understand the situation for what it is, rather than boxing it into our abstract framework of problem-solution.
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