A young boy in America and another in Bangladesh may both suffer from depression — but for entirely different reasons. Their pain may look similar on the surface, yet the roots, triggers, and effective solutions are worlds apart.
Two problems may share a label, but their causes and remedies depend deeply on the environment they arise in.
Our surroundings shape our constraints, ethics, priorities, and even our sense of right and wrong. Solving problems without understanding the environment we’re operating in isn’t strategy — it’s insanity.
And this insanity has become normal. Consider:
- Two patients with depression receive identical medication and therapy, without anyone truly understanding their lives or environments.
- Leaders keep hiring more people when the real issue is that the current team lacks clarity or capability.
- Organisations in remote towns keep hiring new staff who leave every season, instead of outsourcing for consistency.
Next time you face a problem, pause. Ask: Who am I solving this for? What environment are they operating in?
Solutions that ignore context may look smart on paper but fail in reality.
Generic solutions are a disservice. Context isn’t decoration; it’s the difference between insight and ignorance.
