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Be Part of the Solution, Not Part of the Problem
This is probably one of the most overused sentences we have all heard many times. Yet clichés, at least for me, are often filled with ideas that became repetitive precisely because they mattered. Their importance did not disappear; our attention to them did. Much like air, always present, rarely noticed.
In this article, I want to talk about problem-solving as a skill in both professional and personal life, and share the philosophy that gradually took shape in my mind throughout my career. This is not a step-by-step guide or a set of ready-made answers. It is an attempt to clarify a way of thinking.
Programming: You Are a Problem Solver by Nature
At its core, programming is nothing more than solving problems in the world of computers. The more we practice programming, the more our problem-solving skills are strengthened almost automatically. For me, this realization was crucial.
My career path as a programmer and web developer pushed me to look beyond code itself. I began to understand that the real skill is not writing code, but shaping the way we approach problems. Once I grasped this, I started applying the same mindset to everyday challenges and personal life. Over time, this approach evolved into a broader philosophical perspective on life.
We Are Always Solving Problems
Regardless of age, profession, or life circumstances, humans are constantly dealing with problems of different scales.
Planning how to study for an upcoming exam while managing daily responsibilities is a problem. Learning a new skill and navigating choices such as resources, learning methods, and scheduling is a series of smaller problems. Even noticing a decline in sleep quality and identifying its causes is a form of problem-solving.
On a deeper level, for some people, existence itself can become a persistent problem. Professional and personal challenges are inseparable from human life. What drives us to confront them is a fundamental concept: choice.
Choice: The Reason We Try to Solve Life’s Problems
We are free to either engage with our problems or leave them untouched. Here, I want to share a personal experience that deeply influenced how I think about problem-solving.
List Your Problems to Find Your Place in Life
On one particularly overwhelming day, I decided to put everything down on paper. I opened my laptop, created a blank document, and started writing.
I listed every mental disturbance I had, from complex and serious life issues to the simplest everyday concerns. The list grew long, and many of those problems would be heavy and familiar to most people.
I asked myself one simple but defining question: How much control do I actually have over each of these problems? Is the key to solving this in my hands?
The answer surprised me. A large portion of those problems could be addressed directly through my own decisions and actions. The exact percentage was not important. What mattered was realizing that a significant part of my life was within my control.
Separating problems that were within my influence from those that needed acceptance helped me understand my place and responsibility in my own life more clearly.
Freedom Is Frightening and the Truth Is Uncomfortable
Realizing that many of life’s problems are solvable through my own choices was an uncomfortable truth. Even more unsettling was knowing that I was free to ignore those problems or take responsibility for them.
This freedom brings responsibility to its fullest extent. When you know how much influence you have over your life, passivity is no longer an option. At that point, I reached a simple conclusion: like every human being, I am a problem-solving machine.
Work Is Life, and Life Is Work
My job as a programmer and web designer is an inseparable part of my daily life. The time I spend working is not separate from living; it is a part of it.
From this perspective, working and living move in the same direction. While working, we can learn how to live better, and while living, we develop skills that improve our work.
This overlap is why skills such as continuous learning, problem-solving, and effective communication are not just professional tools for me, but elements of my personal philosophy. Just as work demands constant problem-solving, life requires the same approach.
Modern Addictions: The Enemy of Patience
Our dependence on social media, constant connectivity, and the fear of missing out has weakened our focus and patience. Sustained concentration and deep thinking have become harder for the modern human.
This is one of the hidden costs of modern life, and it has been a personal struggle for me as well. I have not always succeeded in managing it. Still, awareness is the first step toward improvement.
By accepting that our cognitive work is more complex than that of previous generations, we can better understand ourselves and seek realistic solutions. Awareness makes problems clearer, and clarity makes them more solvable.
The Final Solution: Acceptance
Some problems lie entirely outside our control. In such cases, acceptance can be the most rational response, not as surrender, but as maturity.
Large-scale social issues or inherited family circumstances are examples of such problems. The ability to distinguish between solvable and unsolvable problems, and to choose the right response to each, is a sign of wisdom.
As expressed in a well-known prayer:
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
This perspective has always brought me calm in difficult moments.
In the End: Finding Our Share in Life
Life unfolds between two poles: effort and acceptance. We cannot solve everything, nor should we surrender to everything.
The healthiest balance lies in investing energy where change is possible and extracting meaning from what must be accepted. Even when effort does not lead to the desired outcome, the act of trying can bring peace. At the very least, it removes regret.
My personal experience has shown that in the rare moments when I truly gave my best and still failed, the feeling of failure never fully appeared. Perhaps this mindset is what gives meaning to persistence and makes continuing a little easier.
I hope this reflection proves useful.