Albert Einstein once said, "You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that caused the problem."
We all run into problems (or challenges as I like to call them). In our journey in life we get to these challenges mainly because of the way we think. The way we think (our paradigms) brought us to where we are today and if today has a challenge it could be attributed, amongst other reasons, to the way we thought yesterday and the day before that. 
Expand your thinking, think differently, shift your paradigm, but don't use the same thinking to solve the problem. It is that "same thinking" that caused the problem in the first place and what makes you think the "same" thinking is (now) suddenly going to solve the problem? "You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that caused the problem."
3 comments:
I am thoroughly impressed with your blog! Thanks for sharing with us. The thought that same thinking cannot correct a problem is so simple yet so profound if one stops to actually consider the thinking. The question would be if you are so ingrained in that thinking then how do you change? One often hears of someone who is aware of their "faults" but cannot change or is it that they do not desire change?
To change your thinking you should investigate or explore that thinking. To reflect on your own thinking is a good start. To be honest with yourself and reflect on the motives in your heart can help you discover your own thinking. The observer should observe himself in order to understand why he thinks like he does.
It may actually not even be the thinking portion that you've mentioned - it could be a person or function or tool or methodology. I've had occasion where one of my consultants developed a solution for a client - and after numerous times of trying to correct a problem - the client was rather upset with the attitude of the consultant. Now no matter how good or bad the consultant was, the perception of the client was so much so that they never wanter the consultant on site again. In some views - this consultant was the only person who had intimate details of how the problem could be fixed - but we had to use someone else to try fix the problem!!! My point I suppose is that the dimension of this "don't try fix the problem with the thinking that caused it" can be thought of or applied to various dimensions. Only my 2 cents :-)
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