Two not-so-intelligent friends had decided to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Tired after traveling several miles, they decided to spend the first night in a stable they found along the way.
They fell into a deep sleep, but in the middle of the night, a nightmare woke one of them. He shook his companion and asked:
– Go outside and tell me if it’s dawn yet. Check if the sun has risen.
The man went out and saw that everything was very dark, so he returned to the stable and said:
– Everything is so dark that I can’t see if the sun has risen.
“Don’t be silly!” the friend exclaimed. “Can’t you turn on the flashlight to see if it has risen yet?”
This parable may seem absurd to us, but the truth is that we’ve all found ourselves in situations where our actions, seen from the outside, seem as illogical and absurd as turning on a flashlight to check if the sun has come out.
Of course, at the time we come up with them, they seem like sensible decisions. Whether because we resort to familiar solutions or because we don’t stop to carefully assess the true nature of the problem, the truth is that we often use completely useless tools or seek out crazy solutions.
Turn on a flashlight to look for the sun
When we’re up to our necks in water (whether from fatigue, social pressure, intense emotions, or uncertainty), the illogical can seem perfectly logical. In fact, it happens to us constantly, like when we feel lonely and try to fill our schedule with activities instead of seeking a more genuine emotional connection. Or when we try to cope with an existential crisis by taking refuge in consumerism, yearning for a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that never comes.
These attempts may seem foolish or even harmful to an outside observer, but they make sense to a mind looking for a shortcut or short-term relief from discomfort. In situations of uncertainty, our brains often prioritize relieving immediate discomfort over solving the underlying problem.
Neuroscientists have discovered that when we have to make a decision, two brain “routes” are activated: the limbic system pushes us to seek quick and immediate answers, while the system led by the prefrontal cortex focuses on more rational and long-term solutions.
The trap lies in the fact that when we sense that solving a problem requires a lot of time and/or effort, we tend to lean toward quicker solutions. In other words, the limbic system predominates, and we resort to mental shortcuts that aren’t always the most convenient or intelligent solution.
In fact, many of the truly transcendental problems and conflicts we must address in life are complex and require effort, so it is not surprising that it is precisely in these circumstances that we are most likely to act like the friends in the parable.
How to detect nonsense to find sensible and useful solutions?
We can’t solve a problem if we don’t fully understand its causes and nature. Critical thinking encourages us to ask ourselves: Am I really understanding what the problem is?
We often think so, but we don’t. And when we don’t understand the challenge at hand, it’s easy to get sidetracked. Like when we try to motivate ourselves to go to the gym by buying new workout clothes, instead of analyzing why we lack consistency. Of course, buying new clothes may cheer us up for a few days, but it’s an external reinforcement that won’t last long if we don’t overcome internal obstacles.
In the long run, these types of “solutions” only generate frustration and dissatisfaction. We may feel like we’re trying hard but not making progress, without realizing that the problem is that we’ve adopted the wrong approach.
What can we do to avoid falling into that trap?
- Ask the right question. They say that a problem well stated is half solved. Therefore, before acting, ask yourself what the true nature of the problem is. If you define it poorly, no solution will work.
- Take a strategic pause. In pressure situations, the natural impulse is to make a quick decision. You want to get rid of that feeling of discomfort as quickly as possible. However, forcing yourself to wait a few minutes, hours, or even days can give you the psychological distance you need to view the situation more clearly and from a more rational perspective, or to delve into details you may not have initially noticed.
- Evaluate whether the action is directly related to the goal. Some of our decisions are simply noise: they generate movement but no results. Before acting, ask yourself: does this action address the cause or just the symptom? For example, if you feel lonely in your relationship, immersing yourself in work will avoid the problem for a while, but the distance will continue to grow.
- Seek another perspective. When we’re deeply emotionally involved in a problem, it’s helpful to seek an outside opinion. Sometimes, another person can see what we miss and reveal the absurdity of our idea or the futility of the strategy we had in mind. An outside perspective can identify inconsistencies and absurdities that we overlook.
- Take care of your physical and emotional well-being. When we go through a difficult time, it’s normal for our well-being to suffer. However, fatigue, stress, or insomnia impair our reasoning ability and make us more impulsive. An exhausted mind is more likely to turn on flashlights to seek the sun. Therefore, if you need to resolve something important, make sure you get enough rest first.
In life, critical thinking is the filter that saves us energy and frustration. Therefore, before shining a metaphorical flashlight into our lives, it’s worth pausing to ask ourselves: Does this really light the way… or does it just seem to me that it does?
The clarity we seek is rarely found in more artificial light. More often than not, it’s found in more lucidity. And that usually comes from within, not from without.
References:
Apps, M. et al. (2015) The role of cognitive effort in subjective reward devaluation and risky decision-making. SciRep 5:16880.
McClure, S. M. et. Al. (2004) Separate Neural Systems Value Immediate and Delayed Monetary Rewards. science ; 306(5695): 503-507.
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