Problems are good for chess players

When you listen to how people use the word problem in conversation, you often hear a negative connotation.  Such statements as:  “We don’t want any problems here.  This could be a problem.  That’s your problem.” all seem to say that problems are something to be avoided at all costs. On the contrary, the successful solutions to problems move both the individual and the culture forward.  Inventions such as the wheel, light bulb and airplane flight all were solutions to problems, and each has contributed mightily to man’s advancement. So why do problems have such a bad reputation?  One answer is that relatively few people have ever been taught even rudimentary problem solving skills.  It is often stated that the by-product of such classes as science and math will give the student practice in “problem solving skills.”  Rarely are those skills spelled out.  Because problem solving is as much an art as it is a science, it has a hard time finding a home in either curriculum.