For Lack of a Productive Question
The incident which took the lives of
hundreds of adults and children on the opening day of school in Beslan, North
Ossetia seems to me to demand that a solution be sought to worldwide terrorism.
Not sought in the future, no, sought immediately. We are quick to answer that
demand with, "But terrorism is a complex issue for which there is only one
solution: eliminate the terrorists." The elimination of terrorists is a complete
impossibility. As a teacher I heard my peers say time and again, "My class would
be perfect if only Johnny was not in the room." And generally, it was possible
to find a way to eliminate Johnny from the class and for a short while the class
was more pleasant. But always, and I do mean always, another Johnny arose from
the ranks and the class was right back where it
began.
Kill all the terrorists? Others will simply appear. So for this war, the enemy can never be defeated, no matter what our current president says. I know this and so does he.
I believe that for the lack of a productive question we are dealing with terrorism. I taught my students that any of the "mysteries" we have in this world can be solved if we frame the correct question. Let me quote two men to support my contention.
"The formulation of a problem," said Albert Einstein, "is often more essential than its solution which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science." (A. Einstein and L. Infeld, The Evolution of Physics, 1938)
"The function of thinking is not just solving an actual problem but discovering, envisaging, going into deeper questions. Often in great discoveries the most important thing is that a certain question is found. Envisaging, putting the productive question is often a more important, often a greater achievement than solution of a set question." (M. Wertheimer, Productive Thinking, 1945)
I wonder if any world leader, including George W. Bush, has ever sat down privately and asked, "What must be done to end terrorist acts?" All we hear them say is that we will win the war against terrorism. But how and at what cost to humanity? I wait for a leader to take the risk of asking the above question. That first question will guide him or her to greater, deeper questions and the answers found will lead us closer to a solution - a solution that must be found soon. For lack of a productive question, we may soon experience catastrophic horrors.
Kill all the terrorists? Others will simply appear. So for this war, the enemy can never be defeated, no matter what our current president says. I know this and so does he.
I believe that for the lack of a productive question we are dealing with terrorism. I taught my students that any of the "mysteries" we have in this world can be solved if we frame the correct question. Let me quote two men to support my contention.
"The formulation of a problem," said Albert Einstein, "is often more essential than its solution which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science." (A. Einstein and L. Infeld, The Evolution of Physics, 1938)
"The function of thinking is not just solving an actual problem but discovering, envisaging, going into deeper questions. Often in great discoveries the most important thing is that a certain question is found. Envisaging, putting the productive question is often a more important, often a greater achievement than solution of a set question." (M. Wertheimer, Productive Thinking, 1945)
I wonder if any world leader, including George W. Bush, has ever sat down privately and asked, "What must be done to end terrorist acts?" All we hear them say is that we will win the war against terrorism. But how and at what cost to humanity? I wait for a leader to take the risk of asking the above question. That first question will guide him or her to greater, deeper questions and the answers found will lead us closer to a solution - a solution that must be found soon. For lack of a productive question, we may soon experience catastrophic horrors.
Posted: Sun - September 5, 2004 at 04:37 PM
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"Chance favors only the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur
"Art arises from basic needs-a strong need to express and celebrate our everyday events.
In a museum most people spend less than twenty seconds looking at a work of art."
"Art arises from basic needs-a strong need to express and celebrate our everyday events.
In a museum most people spend less than twenty seconds looking at a work of art."
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Published On: Dec 26, 2005 06:36 PM
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Published On: Dec 26, 2005 06:36 PM