Problem, no good

 In the 1990s I spent much time in Thailand, and mostly in Bangkok, where one will regularly get to hear this famous Thai-English saying: Problem, no good. Right, I then thought, but why constantly state the obvious? Yet after a while I began to wonder whether this was actually true. Well, at that time, I did in fact like problems for they gave me something to do. In addition, to be able to solve problems felt gratifying.

Problems, problems, problems fill the minds of today's concerned people. And, big problems demand of course big minds. It was then clear to me that only distinguished people were able to solve complicated problems.

It took me considerable time to come up with a different view. Nowadays I believe most problems are fabricated, they give us permission not to do what we know we should do. 

Here's an example: If you were to go and see a psychologist or a lawyer, their first question will be: What's your problem? An hour later you will leave with many more problems that you had very probably never heard of. The reason given is simple: You lacked the knowledge that would have allowed you to see the complexity of it all.

Needless to say, the real reason is differen for the lawyer and the psychologist need to make a living. Problems are their business model. The complexity they present to you is entirely made up and totally unnecessary. This is not to say that all things are easy, this is to say that if you want to change something you need to act instead of pondering problems.

Again an example: A man with a drinking problem wants to know what to do about it. Stop drinking, I said. Her looked at me wondering whether I was taking him for a ride. You do not seem to understand, he said, this is my problem. It is not, I replied, for what you need to do is obvious. However, you do not want to do what you know you need to do and so you call it a problem. To label something a problem is an excuse for not acting the way you know you should.