moving the problem

How did life on Earth come to be? — "Oh, it came from another planet!"
What about my medical condition? — "There's nothing you/we can do about it. Your grandfather had this too, it's genetic."

These examples may seem extreme, but they’re more common than we realise.

Often, we don't truly solve problems but instead push them to the horizon of our knowledge, ignorance, or comfort. It’s like sweeping dirt under the carpet and calling the room clean.

There is a function in pushing problems to these horizons. In many cases, we can only come up with solutions that are “good enough” for the time being. Whether it’s believing that rain comes from a thunder god or that the tiniest parts of the material world are atoms, these beliefs, stories, or solutions serve their purpose for a period.

However, in the case of the examples mentioned, it’s clear that we’ve reached a point where we need new answers. The standard responses to common problems are becoming increasingly absurd.