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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Learning to survive ... Techtoberfest event was a rousing success ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Hillary Clinton’s big night ... Our View: Learning to survive ... Techtoberfest event was a rousing success ... Jeffrey Gillespie: Hillary Clinton’s big night ... INNER PEACE Inner Peace: The downside of decisiveness and certainty Comment By Victoria Leo DailyTidings.com By Victoria Leo Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 3:26 PM By Victoria Leo Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 3:26 PM » Social News It seemed like a good idea:You have a problem animal. So you import the problem animal’s predator and ... it starts hunting and eating all the unique native animals, NOT the problem animal. Now you have two problems instead of one. It also seemed like a good idea: There’s too much waste going into the landfill, so make people use re-usable bags. For everything, even for the tourists' impulse-shopping in downtown Ashland. Most of the really poor decisions that people make in their individual lives share the same fundamental problems that the two seemingly good societal ideas described above have. In both cases, the problem-solvers grabbed the apparent simple solution and didn’t think past Step No. 1. In the first example, the well-intentioned problem-solvers did not ask enough questions about the predator, including: is it going to stick to eating ONLY the problem animal, when it finds itself in an environment with a lot of easier prey? Why do I think so? What evidence supports that belief? Think about your own life. How many times did you come up with a “solution” that made your overall life a lot worse? Could part of the problem be that you didn’t ask enough questions about the proposed solution? That you didn’t examine the idea beyond Step No. 1? People like me who ask you to stop and think are a real pain in the lower back, aren’t we? We ask you to think about all the potential pitfalls before you move ahead. What happens to us when we find ourselves only looking at Step No. 1, not asking ourselves “And then what will happen?” is that the decision-making is happening in the simple-solutions-loving limbic system. To protect yourself, you have to make yourself widen your vision, get less excited about your proposed solution, remind yourself that it’s illogical to be so certain so early in the process, so get less certain, honey — all the mental disciplines that bring the dispassionate executive planning of your pre-frontal cortex into play. It’s hard in a culture that prizes certainty and decisiveness to stop you from going over the cliff along with everyone else, but be strong, be valiant, take a long, slow deep breath, and think about Steps No. 2 and 3. What will happen, really? Does your proposed solution involve living creatures? If so, you have to think about the problem from their point of view — not yours. And that is especially true if it is the human animal. The second and related problem comes into play when we make assumptions about how other people think, and why they do the things they do. The creators of the “solution” to the not-enough-being-recycled problem assumed that people unpack their groceries and then throw away the paper bag. The problem is that no actual human beings do that. Failing to check your assumptions is always fatal. In this case, most people are like me and they treasure those paper bags as future trash can liners and recycle-collectors around the house. I use a typical paper bag anywhere from 8-17 times, depending on the strength of the original paper and the contents its collecting. What is the actual result of preventing people from having paper grocery bags? Will the trash now be lined with plastic, a non-biodegradable petroleum product? I’m smuggling paper bags from relatives in Washington. Smart retail outlets in this tourist-dependent town know that tourists take a stroll along the street until they see some treasure they have to have. If asked to pay for a bag to carry their goodies home, they’ll leave the goodies on the counter, resenting a rip off. Think about your own life and an upcoming problem-solving task with an eye to Steps 2 and 3. You may stop yourself from leaping off a cliff into the simple fix that leaves you with more problems than you started with. Editor's note: Ashland retail outlets are prohibited from furnishing non-reusable plastic bags, but may supply paper bags if they charge a minimum of 10 cents for each bag. Victoria Leo (www.soaringdragon.biz) creates unique and effective programs to move her clients from problems to solutions that really work, from the Hero’s Journey to Health, to banishing writer’s block, losing weight and changing habits. She is the author of four recent books including Salle and the Alien Invasion (2013), available at Treehouse Books, Take Back Your Lost Heart (2008) and others. Send 600 to 700 word inner peace articles to Sally McKirgan [email protected]. By Victoria Leo DailyTidings.com By Victoria Leo Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 3:26 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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