This is http://www.essayz.com/a9011281.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %GLOBAL DILEMMA PROBLEM ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE ADDICT 901128 The following words point to some of the dilemmas and technical problems which face the world. It is important to recognize which of these are technical problems and which are dilemmas. Population Explosion Resource Depletion Arms Races Terrorism AIDS Rich vs Poor Conflicts Language Barriers Ethnic Conflicts Religious Conflicts Unjust Governments Creeping Deserts Global Warming Earthquake Disasters Weather Disasters Volcanic Disasters Health Maintenance Science Ignorance Nuclear Power Risks Air/Water/Land Pollution Addictions & Codependence Collapsing Governments Political Corruption Systemic Dishonesty Increasing Complexity Information Explosion Rapid Social Revolutions World Law and Order Inhibitions Communication Urbanization of Peoples Destroying Quality Soils Two Cultures Dichotomy Organizational Addictions Disintegrative Ideals Confusion of Languages To respond wisely to troubling situations which face the world as a whole, we must transcend the patterns of thoughts and attitudes which have lead us into the troubling situations. The experts whose values, ideals and advice have lead us into our troubling global situations cannot from within their paradigms provide us with the technical advice and services through which to transcend the troubling situations into which they have lead us. Some of the situations which we face are technical problems; other troubling situations are existential dilemmas which many experts approach and respond to as if the situations were technical problems. Responding to a situation which is a dilemma as though it were a technical problem, makes the situation more troubling than it was originally, and often leads participants into tragic patterns of behavior. We face a technical problem when there is agreement as to the present nature of our situation, agreement as to what would constitute an improved situation, and agreement as to the available techniques by which to justly and with love get from the present situation to the improved situation. The goal is clear and the means by which to reach the goal are clear and available. The changes which need to be made are widely understood, valued, and agreed upon by those likely to be affected. Technical problems can be solved by appropriate experts. There are many troubling situations, however, in which the heart of the matter is not just a technical problem. We face a dilemma when the situation we face is one over which control cannot be exercised, the nature of the situation cannot be fully defined in technical language, the essence of the situation is not within the domain of objective realities, and there is incomplete agreement on how to understand the situation or incomplete agreement on what changes are to be desired. Dilemmas cannot be solved by experts. We may respond to dilemmas wisely and honestly, or foolishly and dishonestly. Many of the troubling situations which face our global community are dilemmas, not technical problems. Most of the experts upon whom we rely for leadership in dealing with troubling global situations are technocrats who approach dilemmas as if the dilemmas were technical problems. Give a technocrat a hammer and every screw looks like a nail. Give a technocrat a computer and every dilemma looks like a computer programming problem. Give a technocrat a gun and a bomb and every dilemma looks like a an opportunity for military threats and action. Technocrats have not learned to be concerned about justice, love, openness, honesty and the integrity of persons and communities. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================