Answers to Previous Questions

I know I pose a lot of questions. It’s a style of writing I’ve used for years. It tends to form some interesting questions. Not always answered, yet many are rhetorical and don’t need to be answered. Yet because so many questions exist may mean we need to think through our shared problems and make things better.

I have often found that people who mean well don’t know which questions to ask. That is an important distinction. Are we asking the right questions? Are we seeking answers to the right questions? Or are we spinning our wheels?

Although rhetorical questions can play a valuable role, there comes a time when I should address those questions I have left hanging. So here goes. I will take them in order of the blog date I wrote them.

Posting from Oct 7: Who’s to Blame: Why do Americans feel there is always someone to blame?

In so many ways we are all to blame for the situations in which we find ourselves. We ignore problems, or don’t pay enough attention to them, or react to the wrong things. Especially egregious is our jumping to conclusions and assuming we understand the problem when we don’t, or fail to get more information which will help us deal with the problem more effectively. Simply put, I think we take the easy way out in blaming others and throw up our hands! That is really giving up!

I think it is important that we invest our time in this manner:

·         Focus on a problem; define it clearly

·         Identify what other issues intersect the primary issue; determine which ones are primary, secondary, etc.; define each of them clearly

·         Eliminate those issues that are an unnecessary confusion or complication to the primary issue; focus on the primary issues first; move on to the secondary ones next; and all the rest later. We may find that many things will be solved by dealing effectively with the primary issue.

·         Research the issue so we fully understand it and alternative solutions begin to emerge

·         List the alternative solutions; understand them; test how each will work and what resources are needed to implement them

·         Prioritize each of the solutions; which is best, which is least valuable, etc.

·         Build a case for implementing the best solution complete with supporting rationale

·         Share your findings with a larger group and seek support to advance this as a proposal with the proper authorities (government entity, legislative body, etc.)

As this work unfolds other ideas will emerge; some will be pertinent, others not. Keep track of the good ideas, and don’t forget to build a file of other problems and solutions that may emerge. Those can be used in later studies at an appropriate time.

I predict that this format of action will be repeated by many other groups and together society will construct a vision of what is possible and what is worthy of our support and resources. Very few people are doing this sort of thing other than academics and professional researchers. It is time for all of us to take action, or authorize these actions in our name in the hands of others. Obviously this does not involve our U.S. Congress or many state legislatures. These folks are gridlocked and not doing their jobs. We must find alternate pathways to do what must be done.

Later, when more order slowly accumulates, we will discover which people can be trusted to do the hard work and hard thinking to get things done. Those we will need to elect to positions of trust and authority. The rest we need to remove from office.

But first things first. Determine what is an issue and what we need to do about it. I think the largest challenge will be prioritizing our problems so we are placing our focused energy on the most important problems first.

I think this is a logical approach. It’s getting started that is most difficult. Who among our readers is willing and ready to get the ball rolling?

December 4, 2011

PS: This is the beginning of the third month of this blog.