When faced with any problem, we have a set of default responses.
1. We need to do something new. A big bang. We need to innovate.
2. Somebody has to be responsible for the problem. Blame the government. Blame the politicians. Blame the corporates. Blame America or (now) China!
3. We need a reassuring solution, one which we can implement in finite time and solve the problem.
Instead, why not these?
1. What if the problem arose because we were not doing well what we were supposed to have been doing? So why not refocus efforts to doing it more effectively?
2. What if all of us are to blame? Or what if no one is to blame? What if the problem arose due to the complex dynamic of human interactions?
3. What if the problem never disappears fully? What if there are no solutions at all, never mind neat and reassuring ones? What if the solution is a never-ending journey, and not a destination?
Consider the example of increasing economic growth or development in general.
What if all governments need to do are develop human capital, invest in physical infrastructure, facilitate ease of doing business, provide a basic social safety net, maintain macroeconomic stability, and in general maintain good governance?
What if there is no one specific point of blame and the problem is the emergent consequence of the inter-play of several unforeseen forces and actions within the economy?
What if the entire set of processes is a journey, with no clear destinations, and one which requires constant vigil and recalibrations?
What rubbish! Let's go back to our good-old reflex responses!
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