The problem with most brilliant and original ideas is that they are neither brilliant nor original. As for innovation, it is of little use unless it actually solves a problem. Many solutions promise much more than they deliver.
Let me explain using a relatable, albeit a hypothetical, illustration. In the rest rooms of your office building, you notice a faucet that somebody forgot (or chose not) to turn off. This got your creative juices flowing. Why not replace all manual faucets in the facility by automatic ones, you think. No more forgetting to turn them off, and no more wasting of water while one uses the soap. Plus, it is infinitely more hygienic. Sounds super-great, no doubt. But desist, even though it is not your own hard-earned money that is involved.
Some of the questions that must be considered before going ahead with the ‘plan’ are these: By how much is the purchase going to set the organization back? What about the power source? What to do when there is no power? Are the faucets battery operated? Who is going to replace the batteries? (The auto soap-dispenser that was installed in a similar enthusiastic fit was last filled six months ago; the air hand-drier last dried a hand more than a year ago). How much is the probability of somebody finding it impossible to resist the temptation of pilfering them? How long is the average lifespan of an automatic faucet? How much is the annual cost of replacement, considering that for the manual ones it is next to nothing? Real life is complicated. More so in our neck of the woods.
Another illustration (this one from experience) ought to make the point clearer. There is a mosque that I visit occasionally, where an elderly gent happens to be a regular. Always clad in impeccable white, he is extremely well-meaning, even if a tad too public spirited. He has taken upon himself the noble task of reforming the lifestyles of worshippers. His areas of interest include (but are by no means limited to) spirituality, religion, law, environment, science, technology, nutrition, health, history, civics and politics. Every now and then after the Asr prayer, he requests the Imam to lend him the pulpit in order to deliver a comprehensive talk on his latest research. (The Imam, himself a gentleman of pedigree, magnanimously acquiesces every time. I suspect that the Imam is also somewhat scared of the gentleman.)
This gentleman is particularly concerned about conservation of energy and natural resources. He likes to take an interactive approach to instruction. He points to specific individuals and making them answer his questions, he steers the narrative in a certain direction, finally making the point that he has intended to make all along. People know in which direction the conversation is supposed to head, and so, the good sports that they are, they answer his questions accordingly.
But not always. One day, the gentleman had it in mind to make his audience shun the use of tissue papers. He started in fine style, waving a box of facial tissues for all to see. His first question, asked randomly of a lad of about eighteen, was this: ‘Is this product indispensable?’ The expected answer, which would have provided the launching pad for the tirade against the tissue paper industry, was of course in the negative. But the lad, who apparently did not believe in going with the flow, nodded his head to say yes. Of course, this disrupted the whole narrative. The gentleman looked visibly displeased with the response but immediately recovered and pointed towards another man, much senior to the lad. This man gave a perfectly satisfactory answer to the question, allowing the reformer to nod his head in fond approval and proceed to explain how the human race would attain hitherto unknown heights of enlightenment if only they got rid of the menace of the tissue paper.
Let there be no mistake: his intention was perfectly beyond reproach. There is nothing like water for cleaning of the human body. But water is itself scarce. Granted, paper is probably more taxing for the ecosystem; but in human civilization, there is always the issue of convenience to be factored in as well, especially for offices and other public places. Besides, like the cell phone and the social media, the tissue paper is here to stay, whether one likes it or not. Any ‘programs’ or hopes of getting rid of these (and I dare say a whole lot of other items) are utopian at best.
What typically happens is this. You read a book last night and found out about a high-tech solution employed successfully somewhere. Consequently, you have this unshakable urge to share your ‘knowledge’ and install the solution in your own surroundings. Often it is a case of every problem looking like a nail to a man with a hammer in his hand.
Matters are difficult enough when the solution can be bought off the shelf. When it happens to be in the form of a concept, concrete implementation of it, no matter how great the concept itself, raises new challenges of its own. Problem solving is never a piece of cake.
YouTube can be especially deluding in this regard. It has a way of making men to triumphantly announce that they are ‘working’ on a problem when all they have done is watch two ten-minute videos on it. It therefore pays to occasionally reconsider what it actually means to understand something. A vague sort of knowledge is rarely enough for the real problems of the world.
The thing with technology is that it offers many alternatives, each with its own sets of pros and cons. Problem solving therefore involves much more than proposing ‘innovative’ solutions. Analysis of the situation necessitates expertise and skill. While it is true that knowledge tends to make one cautious and circumspect, and it is easiest to talk about things one has no clue about; it is always advisable to develop competence regarding any issue before volunteering opinions on it. This requires one to be a qualified student (at the very least); even if one is not an expert or a scholar. Â This competence requires hard work, which, in turn, is impossible without a firm resolve. This resolve is a far cry from mere desire.
Technology solves problems but it also brings new ones in their stead. No matter what the problem is, a comprehensive survey of the context and a cost-benefit analysis are bypassed only at one’s peril. Categorical, one-size-fits-all solutions are therefore extremely rare in the real world. It takes a very brave (or foolish) man to issue sweeping statements on almost any matter under the sun. Simplistic views have undeniable charm as they allow one to feel good about one’s self; but they have little utility when it comes to the harsh and/or subtle realities of life. Life is a little too nuanced for most innovative solutions proposed by enthusiastic laymen, no matter how well-intentioned.
The irresistible desire for it notwithstanding, becoming the catalyst of change for the better is easier wished for (or thought) than done. Good intentions and an overwhelming desire to help are generally not enough. Refer to the Bard for where good intentions alone usually lead to.
