- 6/15/2010 10:41:52 PMCritical Thinking 101Michael's three basic problem solving techniques are as follows:
1. Hide, disguise, or conceal the problem so that it is less apparent.
2. Ignore the problem. Close your eyes to it. Pretend it doesn't exist.
3. Repeat the exact steps that created the problem in the first place and perhaps it won't happen again.
On Sunday morning, Michael came downstairs after getting dressed for church. He is wearing a white t-shirt and a red short sleeve shirt over the top. One sleeve of his white t-shirt was hanging out of the sleeve of his red shirt. I pointed to it and I said, "fix that". Michael rolled up the sleeve of his t-shirt and tucked it under his red shirt.
At the time, I thought that perhaps his white t-shirt was just on crooked, pulled, or stretched in some odd way that was causing it to hang out and be seen. I saw him a short while later and this time both sleeves of his white t-shirt were hanging out of his red shirt. "I thought I told you to fix that.", I said. Again, Michael's solution to fix the problem was to bunch up the sleeves of his white t-shirt under the shorter sleeves of his red t-shirt. The real problem was that the white under shirt was larger than the outer red t-shirt. Michael didn't see it that way which led to a discussion about problem solving and critical thinking.
Mom asked, "What could you do to fix this problem?". As usual, Michael's immediate unhesitating response was, "I don't know". This is effectively like saying, "There is no point in pursuing a solution. This problem cannot be resolved. I don't want to waste any mental energy on this. I quit."
If the reason for motivation is not immediately obvious for Michael, he gives up. The problem with this is that he possess very little common sense, discernment and cause and effect thinking ability. He quits or gives up on personal initiatives on a regular basis. Unless of course, he is highly motivated to continue. It is common for him to be persistent in reminding everyone that his birthday is coming up, or how many yogurt or pudding cups he has had in relation to everyone else, what he thinks we should eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner, what mom's daily schedule looks like, knowing where mom is in the house at any given moment, following her, staring, stalking, playing with himself, avoiding school work or chores... It's a fairly long list.
Mom repeated the question and asked Michael to come up with some possible choices on how to correct the situation. "I could change my shirt", Michael said. "Very good", I said to Michael. I was happy with that answer. Of course I was thinking that he obviously meant changing his red outer shirt. More on that in a moment. "What else could you do?", Mom asked. "Nothing. That's it", Michael responded.
She wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. "Think about it again", Mom said. "I don't know", Michael answered. I said, "how about removing your under shirt and just wearing your red t-shirt". "Oh-yea", Michael said. Now for the moment of truth... Mom asked, "what are you going to do?" "I guess I'll go and change my white t-shirt", Michael responded. This was a confusing response to both Peggy and I. We had assumed that when he originally said that changing his shirt was a possible solution that he naturally meant his outer shirt. After all, what good would it do to change the undershirt and replace it with an identical undershirt? That doesn't seem to make any sense - unless you're Michael, that is.
We asked him to clarify which shirt he meant and he indicated that he meant his white under shirt. Then he got a little testy as if we were stupid for even asking such a dumb question. I told him, "I thought you meant your red shirt.". "So did I", added Mom. All of his undershirts come in multi-packs and are identical.
Michael looked confused and couldn't understand why replacing the existing white t-shirt with an identical t-shirt would not resolve the issue. Then we spent the next few minutes discussing his solution and how it is very similar to banging one's head against a wall. "What is the point?", I asked. Michael has a learned automated response for when I ask the question regarding banging your head on the wall. When I ask, "what is the point?", he immediately responds, "there isn't one". Of course that is the correct answer, but he doesn't understand it. He keeps banging away at his problems with solutions that have already been tried repeatedly and have proven not to accomplish anything. Why does he do this? I don't know. All I can guess is that he uses the tools he is familiar with and hopes they will someday produce the results he wants.
So at this point, Michael has two potential solutions to his problem. The solution he thought of was to change his undershirt and replace it with another undershirt and my additional suggestion to remove his undershirt. "Anything else?", Mom asked. Michael responded with a potential third solution, "I don't know. Just do nothing I guess". This solution often reminds me of the baby game "Peek-a-boo". This is where the baby or toddler covers their eyes and in their mind, the other player magically disappears. This technique is sometimes employed in the game of "hide and seek" but with very little success.
Just to be clear, let's review the current list of potential solutions:
1. Hide the sleeves of the white undershirt - the original solution rooted in deception. Using this technique virtually guarantees the problem will reappear.
2. Put on a different white undershirt. Basically, repeat the whole process that created the problem in the first place. With any luck, things will turn out different next time.
3. Remove the white t-shirt. This would effectively eliminate the problem but for some reason, Michael didn't like it.
4. Do nothing. Ignore the problem. Pretend it isn't there - then it is simply no longer a problem.
You might think that I'm once again making a mountain out of a mole hill, but what I have covered above is related to a different previous discussion that went like this:
Mom: You need to do your school work.
Michael: I just don't want to.
Mom: You need to learn to read, write, and count. How will you get a job? How will you support yourself? How will you eat and clothe yourself? What will you do when your starving and homeless?
Michael: I guess I'll just rob a bank or something.
So there you have it. "Rob a bank or something". A reasonable solution to a very minor problem - if it really is a problem.
