Fear not!
How your boat can get rocked
This is part 13 of my 14-part series on problem solving for Christians. Make sure you are subscribed to get the whole series! You can read the previous posts at stjezzer.substack.com. I am delighted to offer the whole series free of charge. If you appreciate the value I am giving, please do consider either a paid subscription, or a one off donation using the button below.
Last week we talked about the fallibility of repeatedly doing the same thing to solve a problem, and expecting a different result.
But what if you don’t know what to do differently?
There are three things I want to touch on to address this: fear, curiosity, ability.
First, fear. If we go back to Genesis, Adam and Eve were living in blissful ignorance until the serpent came along and started asking questions. Those questions rocked their stability, and thus sin entered the world. That same tendency to ask questions can often be the root of a fear. What if I break it? What if I do something to make it worse? What if? Thinking clearly is so much easier without fear.
This is not just an abstract idea of mine, it’s a basic psychological principle.
If you are in the unfortunate position of being chased by a hungry lion, your body will revert to what is known as the “fight / flight” response. Your brain shifts gears to ensure your safety. Higher order thinking shuts down, along with unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion and sexual function. This gives more energy to your muscles to allow you to rush to safety as fast as possible, at the expense of higher order thinking.
In a state of fear, your thinking shifts away from the calm ability to think through a problem. That’s why the Bible is peppered with the phrase “fear not” - the phrase (or a similar meaning) appears over 100 times (depending on the translation).
Second, curiosity. It is difficult to be curious if your brain is in a fear state. So, if you can be in a place of rest and calm, your ability to be curious is enhanced. Curiosity is a genuine interest in how something works - or in the case of a problem, why it is not working. Child-like curiosity is what allows children to learn so well.
As a pre-teen, I was very curious about electronics. I used to buy electronic kits and put them together in my bedroom. I read electronics books that helped create my own circuits. In this curiosity, I learned an awful lot about analogue electronics, and built a dizzying array of audio and power supply circuits. Now, as an adult, I realise there were so many opportunities for asking “what if”, which would have prevented me from learning: “What if this circuit doesn’t work and I waste my pocket money?”, “What if I get electrocuted?”, “Are the materials in these components toxic?”, “Does this solder have lead in it?” - these questions never even crossed my mind. I just kept going, and kept learning. As Christian adults, so should we. Because it leads to the third thing I want to discuss.
Third, ability. Ability cannot grow with fear lurking around. I appreciate that fear was used as a tool for discipline in years gone by, but I’m less convinced it provided a calm environment for students to really learn on their own terms. Strong ability can only grow when we have an absence of fear, and an abundance of curiosity.
Indeed, fear of getting things wrong can actually hinder the skill of solving problems. If a problem is felt as something negative, how can we grow? Conversely, if a problem is viewed as a positive opportunity to learn and grow, we are setting ourselves up for positive character growth.
Solving problems is a fabulous chance to grow in ability. I love solving problems for that very reason - it is an opportunity to learn. Today, we have an abundance of information available - through books, the internet, search engines and now artificial intelligence tools. Combined with discernment, human relationships and the experience of others, we have plenty of opportunities to learn.
One of my previous posts is an article about Thomas Edison, and how he went through 10,000 prototypes of the light bulb before finally finding a solution which both worked, and was commercially viable:
Ultimately, every human is issued with one of God’s most amazing creations: the human brain. Without the brain, we would not be enjoying the technology we have today. Even the best artificial intelligence tools have to bow down to the brilliance of the human brain. Your brain is highly capable. Every brain is unique through the experiences it has been through, and yours is no exception. It is highly valued, especially by God our creator.
Conversely, man-made systems, products and solutions are inferior. There are still many amazing feats of brilliance, but they still fall short of the glory of God. That makes you, and your brain, superior. As I write this, I have a ChatGPT window open in the background (I asked ChatGPT to look up the number of appearances of the “fear not” phrase further up this article - to be clear, I do not use any AI tool to write these articles!). It says at the bottom of the page, “ChatGPT can make mistakes”. It does: I have seen ChatGPT make some very confident and highly misleading statements.
So we need to have confidence in the brilliance of our brains. God designed your brain! There are two really simple things we can do, to help optimise our brains for problem solving. I’m going to talk about them next week, in the final part of this problem solving series.
The content provided in this post - and throughout this series exploring Problem Solving from a Christian Perspective - is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It reflects the personal opinions and experiences of the author, St. Jezzer, and is not intended as professional advice of any kind, including but not limited to legal, medical, psychological, financial, or pastoral counselling. No guarantees are made regarding the outcomes of applying any ideas or strategies discussed. The author, St. Jezzer, disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or adverse consequences resulting from the use of or reliance on this content. Readers are strongly encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance for any personal, mental, spiritual, practical, or other challenges they may be facing.