The Lure of the Unsolvable Problem

I had actually written this post back in the summer, but then, I got lazy, distracted, busy, you name it! I did not get around to actually posting it. Before I get to what I wrote, I just wanted to provide a bit of context for the unsolvable problem.

The unsolvable problem is that shiny penny for my inner magpie and I must confess to having a bit of an ego problem in thinking that there is no such thing as impossible, and while the impossibility can be debated about any problem and solution, there is always the element of "is it really worth the time to prove the point?" that always should be considered and I will confess I had a habit of ignoring or blatantly not taking the step to evaluate the worthiness of the venture. Throughout the summer, I was contemplating all the decisions in my life that I had made all with the intent on proving that I was more than capable of tackling the unsolvable without having considered the value, personally and professionally, of spending the time and the energy. It was a bit of a pill to realize that my energy would have been better spent on learning to let it go after taking my evaluation of the situation/problem/issue that one step further. Sigh. We all have our Achilles' heel! I think the bonus of all the self-reflection on that topic is that hopefully, I will be able to exhibit better judgment and ultimately, make a few better decisions.

And so, without further pre-amble, I will now present the blog that I wrote:

July Musings:

There are a few of us that wander about the planet that fall easily in love with a challenge. In fact, I would have to say that there are more than a few to which this applies. There is just something about a challenge that grabs the deepest part of one's soul and forces it to push the limits of body and mind to reach new levels. The challenge is captivating, in that it asks you to do and be someone who is more, either physically, mentally, or both. For some, that challenge can be like the lure of the Sirens that Odysseus encountered on his journey home. Except that, unlike his crew, our ears are not stuffed with wax and so we fall victim, and the challenge can become all consuming.

Photo taken of p. 213 in Greek Mythology by Elizabeth Spathari, published by DIM. PAPADIMAS Reg't Co. Athens, Greece, 2016.

There are, of course, people who like to have things easy. They like to be relaxed, but there are others who think that the easy and relaxed way of living is a bit dull and somewhat colourless. It lacks vibrancy, which the challenge provides. In truth, a balanced life is more desirable. One that has enough challenges to allow a person to "level up" and yet, enough space to be able to breathe and take in the various forms of beauty that surround us on this planet.

I would have to say that the lure of the challenge for any particular individual falls somewhere on the spectrum from finding challenges to be irresistible to preferring to avoid the challenge altogether. The fascinating thing about us as humans is that this is a trait that varies greatly among individuals.

For the person who finds the challenge to be shiny, sparkling, and irresistibly alluring, it can result in a few spectacularly crazy decisions. (Think of the person who quits their job so they can go climb Mount Everest, for instance! Although, for that person, the decision may seem more logical and less crazy.) I sometimes wonder if some of the greatest acts of courage were not really acts of courage, but a blindness to everything but the thrill of the impossible challenge. Chasing the impossible challenge or gnawing on that "unsolvable problem" can be addicting. To actually achieve the unachievable is a massive dopamine hit. And if dopamine is involved, well, that chase can be a bit of an addition issue.

It is interesting that it is not often that you hear discussions about those folks who love to go after or can't seem to step back from unsolvable problems. There is focus on the thrill seekers who chase after the dangerous activities, but not so much about those who gravitate and then get sucked into the unsolvable problem with little hope of escape. This can lead to situations where an individual would rather stay in a bad situation because they are convinced that they can find a workable solution even in those instances where it is blatantly obvious to everyone around that the odds of successfully determining and then implementing "the" solution are worse than one in one hundred million.

It brings to mind researches who spend their entire lives on one problem. If it looks like they are making progress, it is one thing, but there are people whose research careers end up on the rocks because they were unable to make any discernible progress on their topic. At what point is it tenacity? At what point does the endless search for the solution to the unsolvable problem become a form of insanity? Is that determined by the impact that the search for a solution has on the individual's personal and professional lives?

What about those people who struggle to recognize that the unsolvable problem has an attraction for them that is akin to a moth moving towards a flame? Giving up can be an anathema to those sorts. How do you convince them that it is okay to let go and move on? No one likes to think of themselves as a quitter or a failure, but these folks really struggle with that aspect of letting go.

My October Conclusion

I debated on whether I would write my original conclusion to this post, and then decided against it. It just did not flow as well as I would like it to. And now that I have had some distance since the original post was written, I have different final thoughts now.

It really is easy to get in that mindset that you can find the solution to the impossible problem or situation. It is really easy to get stuck on not wanting to feel or be perceived as a failure. What is not easy, is taking that extra step to evaluate - "Is this really worth it?" And while that can be tough to answer, it really should be the one question that matters the most. It is the question and its supporting reasoning that completes the analysis.

So, with all this introspection, where to go from here? As with anything, awareness is key. Have you ever thought about your attraction, or lack of, to a challenge, and what it may say about you?