The problem is not X
The problem can be:
- The excess (or lack) of X.
- The desperate need for X.
- The way of looking at X.
As excellently put by Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean:
The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.
Also, X is not the solution. There’s no silver bullet. Or maybe there are many.
X can be (and often is) misconstrued, misunderstood, idealized, blamed.
But all in all, X is neither good nor bad in and of itself: it is neutral.
Think of X as a tool. Right for a job, wrong for another. And prone to misuse.
Remember the popular adage, often misattributed to Mark Twain:
If your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.
Ultimately, X is just a model. But all models are wrong, as George Box had it.
X can be capitalism, communism, social media, technology, money, even love.
The next time you single out X, keep in mind that we’re wired to oversimplify.
And allow me to reiterate: the problem is not simplicity, but oversimplification.