Problems of Men, Catalysts of Development?
Problems. We, mankind, all have them and we all hate them. Personally, problems suck. They stem from our imperfections as imperfect beings. Being the way we are, we have certain limitations that hinder us from achieving the things that are really most beneficial to us. These are the so-called problems that we face. Problems are the obstacles and challenges that hinder us from our goals. Faced with these limitations and problems, we try to reach for solutions to these problems in the ways possible and attainable to us; we research and develop.
Which brings me to my point: could it be perhaps that problems are the necessary “push” that we need to further advance as individuals, as a collection of civilizations, and ultimately, as a species? What I’m saying is that we wouldn’t have all the discoveries, inventions, and luxuries that we have today. Would we have drugs, medications, vaccines, etc. if it weren’t for the diseases that plagued us in the past and present? Would we have big cities, urban populations, and the like if we didn’t have problems with living in caves and with sticks and dirt? Would we have machines and all the latest technology if we didn’t need work to be done faster and more efficiently? Heck, even with the inventions that we have, problems still arise. Ours is not a perfect existence and problems drive us towards choices that could help us develop, not just in the immediate sense but for the long run, for the collective subconscious of society.
"But what if our solutions fail?”, you may ask. Well, that’s also a problem that needs to be faced and resolved. Failures are problems that drive us forward by providing us first-hand experience on what not to do so that we may seek the things that should be done. Failures make us more self-aware if the circumstances that we faced before should arise once more. Problems like failures are great educators.
At the end of the day, problems still suck but now you should be sort of glad that you have them. A dull knife only becomes sharper after a lot of friction. Not only do you become a better person by overcoming your problems, you also become a potent contributor to society.