Hard problems are problems without functional explanation as opposed to easy problems which involve explanation in the form of what mechanism can perform what function. The problem becomes hard when our consciousness can not figure out the mechanism through which we can solve the problem. The problem also becomes hard when the person posing the problem restricts the direction through which the problem can be solved. In such instances, the suggested method or material to be used may not provide the needed solution making a problem hard to solve. In such instances, when alternative methods and materials are suggested for use in solving a particular problem, that a problem can now be rethought as an easy problem.
Hard problems are not harmful but in actual sense they are very useful to a person’s life. Whether in school or college, work and family, hard problem sharpens our conscious and help us helps a person thought process to broaden.
When an easy problem with a functional explanation are posed to a person, a person’s thought process tend to narrow toward the convectional method through which the problem have to be solved as opposed to hard problems which calls for an expanded way of thinking. The likes of Aristotle and Napoleon Hills became famous and renowned world wide as a result of the method which they applied in solving seemingly hard problem. Great invention and achievements like putting up a space station was a result of dedicated individuals engaging their conscious and solving many related hard questions.
I expect hard questions to be posed to me in my education and in my career life as it is the only way to engage my mind to think broadly and look at things differently. Likewise if I am a tutor my student would expect me to pose hard questions to them with limited way of solving them. By so doing, I will be creating an environment where students engage themselves in finding new and better ways of solving issues related to the class work and to their life. These questions might have easy solutions but when I engage my students and colleagues to solve them differently, chances are very high that we they will not only find a new way of solving the problem, but they will sharpen their mind and in the process I will definitely gain a lot in terms of knowledge.
In regards to Critical thinking in this era of political correctness and disability accommodation, it will be hard to maintain a universally accepted standard level of accountability. The world today is very dynamic and the goals keep shifting with each coming new day. Problems are taking new directions and as such it would be hard to find a solution that can outlive a particular issue. Great technological inventions are helping people find new ways of doing things. Some issue which seemed so hard to achieve are being solved easily. It is against this background that different levels of critical thinking are needed to address the different issues in relation to all areas of human lives, like moral issues, politics, health and economic issues.