Tag Archives: problem solving
“To solve, or not to solve–that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The indifference and incompetence of others Or to take arms against vexing problems And by opposing, end them.” –(my apologies to Shakespeare) When I entered the workforce forty years ago, I was but a young engineer – fresh-faced and overflowing with the confidence of youth. Like all twenty-somethings, I had little real-world experience, but armed with an engineering degree I was eager to tackle…..
If I only learned one thing from Dr. Schmidt, it was this simple axiom: “Until you understand the problem, you cannot arrive at a solution.” Of course, Schmidt was speaking of Calculus. However, the saying is as true for society as it is for mathematics. Case in point. After every tragedy, we stampede to our appointed corners. There, safely ensconced with the like-minded, we scream at those with whom we disagree. The nightly news degenerates into argument and insult –…..
Before I retired, an unwanted visitor oft frequented my chambers. He arrived in the wee hours and woke me from my slumbers. Thankfully, these visits were rare, but just who was this nocturnal guest? Perhaps the ghost of Christmas past? No, my specter was sadly mundane – “’twas work what roiled me dreams.” Jarred rudely awake, my heart raced as I blinked away the last vestiges of my sleep. I would then find my brain already engaged on a nagging…..