When a problem has a single solution, you don’t have to do much thinking to figure out which solution is best. Your also less likely to choose the wrong solution, and can usually predict what other people will choose. However, when there are many solutions, you are more likely to question if the solution you’ve chosen is the right one. For instance, when choosing a career to pursue there are tons of solutions, but which one works best for you? This can be a daunting task. Also, when you have to leave it up to someone else to solve a problem, how well will they be able to? Say for instance, you hire an electrician to install a new receptacle. He may be faced with putting holes in your wall to run wire, or going through the ceiling, or underground, etc. Will he be able to do the job as well as the next guy? What if he puts a big nasty hole in the wall, and another electrician would have found a less destructive route. However, if you hire someone to bug spray your house, you know what he will do, and can rest assured that it will be done the same every time. People also are uncomfortable when new technologies present new solutions. There are lots of people who refuse to learn how to use a computer. I guess you cant teach an old dog new tricks. My great grandma was afraid of microwaves. Today that seems absurd, but if you think about it, that is such an unnatural way of heating food that one can understand why some people were initially uncomfortable with it.
When it comes to some of the bigger issues like punishing someone for murder, there are many reasons why people are uncomfortable with choosing the right solution. Do you kill someone who kills people to show people that killing is wrong? Do you lock them up and cost society more money to keep them in a cage, or do you try to rehabilitate them? Well, all of these answers may be right, but it depends on the circumstances. The 8 year old boy who shot his father probably shouldn’t be sentenced to death, and Osama Bin Laden shouldn’t be rehabilitated.
I’ve com to the conclusion that one must address the circumstances of a problem very carefully, and logically when faced with a complex problem. Think of every angle you are capable, and reason the pros and cons of different solutions. Then decide what is the best answer.
