Be problematic AF
Mo' problems are a blessing, not a curse
Today’s problem:
A murderer is sentenced to death. He has to choose between 3 rooms in order to carry out his sentence. The first room is filled with fire. The second room is packed with assassins with loaded guns. The third room is full with lions that haven’t eaten in months. Which room should he choose?
Find the answer at the end of the email.
Problem making.
Much like our friendly neighborhood murderer, we often find ourselves with problems to solve. The intensity of these problems naturally differ.
Sometimes it’s life or death, otherwise it’s what to eat today.
Sometimes these problems motivate us and give us energy, sometimes they drain us.
Regardless, most people dream of a situation where they’re sipping margaritas on a beach with not a care (a.k.a. problem) in the world. Just daydreaming of this makes you feel motivated to work towards it.
You’re essentially trying to solve a problem: you are not physically on a beach sipping margaritas and enjoying the sun.
Here’s the catch, though:
Once you’re there, you’re going to go mental sooner than you think.
Why? Because you won’t have a problem to solve. So you’re going to make one up.
Humans are natural problem solvers. There’s plenty of research around this topic.
If we don’t have a real problem to solve or work on, our brain is going to develop ones to keep us in check.
I’d dare to venture and say that’s why so many people high on the social/wealth ladder feel so out of touch - they’re out of problems to solve.
When you’re actively solving problems, you’re relatable and your life has purposes. When you’ve reached a level of comfort and problems are barely visible on the horizon, life’s uninteresting. To compensate, your brain will invent problems to keep you active and motivated.
Problems as a source of energy.
Having a (real) problem to work on is one of the best things imaginable. It’s an almost infinite source of energy.
It makes you feel alive and it drives you to improve yourself or the world. Real problems provide real solutions.
Artificial problems, however, are an interesting past-time at best and more often than not don’t pass the test of reality.
There’s plenty examples of products that totally flopped because they weren’t solving any real problem.
Top of mind, 3D TVs. What is now a failed industry started from the hype that the raging cinema industry was bringing in.
The fact that you don’t have a 3D TV in your home isn’t a problem, however. It’s not like we’re lacking convenient forms of entertainment.
So make sure you always have interesting and real problems in your life. Don’t dream of a life with no problems, it’ll leave you out of touch and unsatisfied.
Problems are a blessing. They’re the reason we wake up in the morning - to be able to eventually say “Eureka!” while thrilled that we finally figured out how to fix a problem.
Spend time to find the right problem for you and commit to solving it. You’ll be happier, guaranteed.
Answer: The third room. Lions who haven’t eaten in months are dead.