“The approach matters more than the problem itself; upon the seeker depends what he finds. . .” — J. Krishnamurti
There is a story about young two fish in a pond. One day when they were swimming, an older fish passed them by and said, “Good morning. How’s the water?” The first fish looked at the second one and asked, “What is water?”
Problems are like the water; different people approach them differently. Many people are like the young fish who do not realize a problem exists. Others may resign to the problem like it’s the weather. (“I know the weather is bad, but what can I do about it?”) A few may do just enough to sweep it under the carpet.
Then there are the rare bunch who examine a problem from different angles. They ask, “Is this the right problem to solve? Or is this a symptom of a deeper problem?“
How you approach a problem determines the solutions you find.