We crave problems to solve like parched desert travelers thirst for water. But sometimes our search for solutions only conjures mirages.
Not every predicament that preoccupies our restless minds is worth solving. In fact, many of the “problems” we agonize over are invented — mere distractions from real issues that demand action.
Two breeds of invented problems ensnare us. First, the situation mislabeled as a problem. Your flight is delayed indefinitely; no clever solution will get those turbine blades spinning sooner. Only time ticks on the clock. Yet we contort hunting for answers, inflating anguish over forces beyond our control.
Second, the trivial problem prioritized for its soothing familiarity. Like rearranging deck chairs to avoid confronting the iceberg ahead. Tidying up folders or tweaking schedules to evade existential worries. Clinging to the comfort of a puzzle, however inconsequential.
Why does the invented problem so often eclipse the real? Nobel-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman offers insight: “The brain is a machine for jumping to conclusions.” Faced with uncertainty, we compulsively seek causes and control — even conjuring correlations where none exist.
Another tendency Kahneman terms “problem substitution” explains why we fixate on invented problems. With no apparent solution to a stressful situation, we swap in solvable — if superficial — dilemmas just to regain a sense of agency.
Once ensnared by an invented problem, our egos entrench our investment. To admit the flaw in logic would bruise our self-image as rational thinkers. So we double down in the illusion of productivity, polishing the faux problem’s veneer.
Of course, not every problem encountered is invented. Creative destruction drives progress. But before expending precious time and mental energy on a predicament, we must discern:
Is this a situation or a solvable quandary?
Will solving it substantially impact what matters?
Or does it merely serve to distract from discomfort?
Resisting invented problems grants freedom to prioritize wisely. To focus on fixing not the hypothetical but the broken systems that damage lives. To stop substituting the simplistic for the significant. To recognize no solution exists for some scenarios — and that acceptance itself solves the only problem at hand.
In the end, our most brilliant thinking targets alleviating suffering, not quenching the mirage of invented problems. With minds unburdened, real solutions may finally glisten clear under the unrelenting sun.
