Seek the problem, Not the Solution

It’s not uncommon to have problems in life, and so in the application/code that you write. I am not being too techie here. It’s just I am relating my thoughts to something technical. Being a software engineer, writing code is inevitable in my day-to-day life and so comes bugs :) I spend a lot of time sitting on to solve bugs(of late it’s been eating away my head) and so do I see people around me, at my workplace, doing the same.

I always go in seek of the problem that caused the bug, rather than to find a solution for the bug. Certain others go in seek of the solution for the bug, rather than the problem that caused the bug. So am I not saying the same thing in two different ways….solving the bug!!!! But they are not…at least for me :)

Seeking for the problem gives you the solution for the bug and also a better understanding of the code that you have written. You seek for the problem because you feel the mistake is at your part, maybe a implementation one or a logical one. Seeking for the solution too solves the bug but does not give you a better understanding of that you have done. Mostly the solution might be a workaround to cover up some of your own mistakes, which went unnoticed, as you were too concerned of the solution for the bug and not the problem for the bug. This might really not solve the bug too, it might just be a temporary fix or a specific scenario fix.

This is just an example. Same goes in the day to day life. Whenever you go in seek for solutions you are actually creating more problems for yourself. Maybe a real life example(non technical :)) would do good. Say you are a spendthrift and you keep spending away all what you get. Need money urgently?? Solution is to borrow from your friend. Does it really solve the problem?? Nope !! The problem here is that you are spendthrift. So try to change that and not keep borrowing :).

Don’t be happy with the solution, hunt down the problem. Happy hunting :)