The Big Picture:
I have been reasoning for years about what concerns me in this world. Ever since I can remember, I have been trying to uncover the source of widespread discontent. I have discussed it with my peers and elders, read much about it and listened to many people talk about it. I have drawn few conclusions.
Band-Aids:
One practice that seems to be virtually universal is that problems nearly always get viewed from the wrong side. Our decision makers give us solutions that offer quick results, but rarely solve problems, unless it is their problem.
Take two of these:
Look at health care (yes, the dead dog). When was the last time you ever heard of a cure? I am not suggesting that there really are any, but it seems as though every effort is put into treating symptoms, not problems. I choose to use health care as an example because it lends itself perfectly.
Health problems are not the only ones that have symptoms. Symptoms are how we detect problems. We have all heard the theory about health care providers and drug manufacturers deliberately keeping us sick so they can profit off of it, but what about things outside of health care? If we spend our energy on the symptoms, we limit our ability to even discover the actual problem. This is true whether intentional or not.
It is important to recognize what it is that motivates action in our world. The old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" is not just advice, it is an explanation for inaction. If excellence was all that motivated people, I would have little to say about this. Of course, if excellence = power, I stand corrected. My personal definition of excellence has little to do with power over other people. I have no doubt about what many people think constitutes excellence.
What do you think makes a person excellent?
