Why Fixing Problems Always Backfires On Problem-Solvers
Rule #9 The Pandora’s Box - Solving an obvious problem often reveals a chain of hidden problems that were being suppressed by it.
A Lesson From History
Around the late 8th century BCE, the Greek poet Hesiod wrote Works and Days, where he described the origin of human su
ffering.
According to the myth, the Titan Prometheus had stolen fire from the gods and given it to humanity.
This act humiliated Olympus. In response, Zeus decided that mankind would be punished not with lightning, but with something more subtle.
He ordered the creation of a woman fashioned by the gods themselves.
Each deity contributed a gift: beauty, charm, persuasion, skill and she was named Pandora, meaning the “all-gifted.”
Pandora was sent to Earth carrying a sealed jar. The purpose of the jar was never explained to her and she was simply told it must never be opened.
For a time, the jar remained closed inside her home so nothing happened and the world appeared stable.
But despite being “all-gifted” as her curiosity grew, the prohibition of not opening the jar itself became irresistibly alluring and became a problem for her.
One day, unable to resist, Pandora decided to lift the lid, as she did the contents burst outward:
Disease
Hardship
Jealousy
Violence
Grief
Forces that had been contained for several years were suddenly out free in the world uncontrollably. Humanity, once free of suffering, was now subject to it permanently.
Pandora tried to close the jar, but it was too late. The jar had not created chaos itself, it had been holding it in for several years.
Lesson: Sometimes solving one obvious problem can cause a chain reaction leading to even more problems come to light.
A Modern Example of The Pandora’s Box
On March 8, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank announced it would raise over $2 billion in capital after selling part of its bond portfolio at a loss.
The problem was obvious:
