I don't know how novel this is, if at all. But I've found a framework for myself that is a pretty comprehensive explanation of my actions, thoughts, and life. It has been helping me tremendously, in ways I didn't even expect. You might think it's stupid. I guess that's not for me to decide.
What is the Problem Web?
Well, it is a web of your problems. It's a description of your life that aids in understanding it but does not innately induce action.
Think of a problem you have in life. Think of as many causes of that problem as you can. Choose one of the causes, and think of as many causes of that problem as you can. Repeat this process until you can't anymore.
Example
Problem: I get bad grades.
- I get bad grades. Why?
- I don't do well on tests or assignments. Why?
- I'm not prepared. Why?
- I procrastinate and I forget to do homework. Why do I procrastinate?
- Many reasons. One is I use my phone while working. Why?
- It's addicting and easily accessible. Why is it easily accessible?
- Because I always keep it in my pocket.
If I were to take an action from this, I would leave my phone on the counter next time I need to work on something. This by itself is already really useful, but not encapsulating. There are gaps everywhere, extra causes that we will never fill in because the mind is too complicated. But we can do much, much better than how I did in the example.
Meta Problems
In the previous example, I found a really useful piece of information from discovering a root cause of the problem. But what happens if I fail to implement the solution, or I forget to use the web in the future? What if you're about to stop reading because I'm boring you? That's where meta problems come in.
They're meta problems because they require you to take a step back. They're problems that are introduced by approaching your already existing problems. If you're having trouble understanding it, that's great. That's a problem, so let's put it on the web.
- You aren't understanding what I'm talking about. Why?
- Maybe I am a terrible writer, maybe you are tired, maybe you have a lot of other stuff on your mind. Why are you tired?
- Maybe you didn't sleep well.
That might be something you want to put on your own problem web right now. But let's go back to my example. Ok, I failed to implement the solution of putting my phone on the counter. That's just another problem, let's place it where it belongs on the web.
- I failed to put my phone on the counter before I started working. Why?
- I wasn't aware that I was supposed to in the moment. Why?
- I forgot and didn't get reminded.
So maybe you set a reminder to notify you before scheduled work time to put your phone on the counter. But what if next time you have a problem, you can't even put it in the problem web because it takes too much effort? Well, if you get the pattern, that's not a wall - it's just another problem. So let's place it on the web.
- I can't put my problem in the problem web. Why?
- I'm tired, my thoughts are cluttered, and it's a complicated problem that has a lot of branching causes. Why am I tired?
- I didn't get enough sleep and I haven't eaten since breakfast.
So, maybe you get something to eat. But you might be thinking - if you can't even put your problem in the web, how are you even making the web? And that would be the perfect question to ask. If you're unable to think of the web in the moment, truly unable, then that's ok. For me, there will always be times like that. Maybe the first time it happened I reacted to the situation badly. But that's ok. The web is still there, still getting drawn. It is a basis for your life, separate from your thoughts about it. But if you haven't noticed the pattern, this was still just another problem. So let's put it in the web.
- A problem arose and I reacted badly. Why?
- I wasn't able to put it in the problem web, and I didn't know how to react without it. Why didn't I know how to react without it?
- I didn't have a plan for if that situation ever arose. Why?
- I never considered that situation.
So, I would make a plan for if I can't use the problem web. Maybe I tell myself to use strategies that are easier to think about, like deep-breathing or drinking water. The point is that when you hit a wall, instead of looking at it like it's a wall, look at it like it's just another problem. The problem web doesn't know the difference.
The Web
In reality, your problems are not just a chain. They are vast, the causes are vast, and sometimes there are loops, or self-perpetuating cycles of problems. A simple one would be that you're depressed because you eat too much but you eat too much because you're depressed.
That's why I see it as a web. If I think of each problem as a node, the web is a bunch of interconnected nodes related to each other in weird, unintuitive ways. This is how I would see the first example with a few extra nodes added in:
Here, I do badly on tests and assignments because I procrastinate and I can't focus. I can't focus because I slept badly last night. But I slept badly last night because I procrastinate. There are weird shapes and cycles that form because so many factors affect your actions and thoughts.
The true problem web is much more vast than the web you fill in, but that's the beauty of it. The web is not complicated because it is an inherently complicated framework, it is complicated because the mind is complicated. And it is being applied to the mind. There are always more problems to identify, causes to make you more aware of your life.
Feelings
I've showed using the web mostly for productivity-related issues so far. But it has been incredibly powerful in my life for emotional problems as well. I'll use the web for a problem I had a while ago, before I started thinking about things this way.
- I feel really bad. Why?
- Things feel meaningless. Why?
- I think about what the universe will be in 10 trillion years, and realize that nothing will end up mattering in the end. Why do I think about that?
- I am looking for external sources of meaning. Why?
- I rely on external sources of meaning to give my life purpose.
This could be it's own article, but for now I'll just say I finally came to terms with having my own internal sources of meaning. I didn't use the method at the time, but it might've made it a lot easier for me to find the solution.
Flux
Think of the web as a digestible representation of the mind. And since the mind is constantly changing, so is the web. New nodes and connections pop up constantly, and catching them in the moment can be incredible.
For example, I think a lot of people appreciate the value of books like Atomic Habits, but what if they won't even pick up the book? I think that would be a wall for a lot of people. Instead, catch the apprehension to pick it up in the moment and place it in the problem web where it belongs.
I'll use one last example that I've come across quite often.
I mostly wanted to write this because it's helped me so much. I've used it for simple tasks, deep emotional problems, and in between. Since it is just a basis for what you do, it works for anything. I really do hope you got something out of it, and try it out for yourself.