Are Some Problems Just Unsolvable?
War… starvation…crimes…economic collapse…illnesses…these are some of the many problems the world currently faces, and we all think about what the world would be like if these problems didn’t even exist. When we think about what that would be like, we’re wondering how these issues could be solved. Then we get to thinking, “We’re just average people; there are tons of millionaires and billionaires on this planet. Why aren’t they using their wealth to solve their problems?”.
Then, thinking about all of this made me question something. Are some problems just unsolvable?
Let’s think about it. All these problems have been issues to every being on the planet for at least hundreds or thousands of years — possibly even eons. Yet they’re still here. We still have to face. We’re still talking about them.
We’re often told that we could be that one person who can change the world. It sounds optimistic, and while I do think one person can inspire a whole bunch of people to make some better changes in the world, I’m not sure if one person could eliminate war or world hunger or the likes. Besides, I doubt that a whole bunch of us can eliminate these problems even if we work together.
“What about those millionaires and billionaires?” you might be asking, “Surely, they can solve all those problems with their money, right? I mean, they should.” Yeah, that would be a nice gesture, but the pessimist in me doubts that even those people could get rid of all the world’s problems. Think of the richest people in the world. Think about what they’ve spent their money on. They may have spent some of their money on charities for good causes, but more of it is spent on their own interests. As much as you would want the richest people in the world to help out the needy and get rid of world hunger and war, let’s be real. If you were in that position, you would probably spend your riches on your own interests, too. Don’t deny it. I know I probably would.
I think I may have found the biggest reasons as to why these problems are unsolvable. Humans are innately selfish beings. We may do good things because we think it’s the right thing to do and it’ll help someone worse off than us, but we mostly do it because it makes us feel good about ourselves and it makes us look good in front of others. Think about the last time you donated to charity. Did you really do it to help other people less fortunate than you, or did you really do it because you wanted to look/feel good about doing the right thing? Look, being selfish doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. We’re all selfish; it’s part of our nature.
Another part of the human nature is curiosity. Think of all the explorers in the world. Do you honestly think we would be here without them? I doubt it. Humans are naturally curious beings; we want to know everything in the world, even it does depress us in the end. Sometimes, we discover good things that change the world for the better (new land, a treatment for a disease, etc.). Other times, we discover bad things (injuries, new diseases). That doesn’t mean we should isolate ourselves from the world forever. It’s just the risk of exploring and experimenting.
You’re probably disagreeing with me on a lot of what I’ve said. That’s okay. Differences of opinions are also human nature. They also lead to territorial disputes, which then lead to war. But we all know that’s not the case all the time. In fact, that’s not even the cast most of the time. We can agree to disagree and move on with our lives (at least, I hope we can). I’m just saying that most wars starts with disagreements and disputes.
Even if we do solve all the world’s problems, we’ll just make some new ones. Humans like to do things; they like to use their brains to come up with a solution to some problem. It’s how we separate ourselves from the other animals. While other animals only use their instincts to survive, humans thrive on challenges and discoveries — even if does go on forever. And maybe it’s just better that way.
We have a lot of problems in the world, and as much as we would like to have them solved, maybe some problems are just unsolvable. It sucks to say this, but maybe we have such atrocities because humans are just too selfish, curious, and territorial to make the world a utopia. Besides, even if we do solve all the world’s problems, we’ll just create some new ones to try and solve. It’s just the way we are.
