Gordon Bethune Quotes

We cannot solve a problem until we understand the full extent of the problem.

You cannot solve a problem unless you diagnose the problem.

Generally, you cannot solve a problem without defining the problem completely.

Before it can be solved, a problem must be clearly defined.

You can't solve a problem until you address the problem.

If you don't define the problem you'll never reach a painful solution.

For me, one of the major reasons to move beyond just the planting of trees was that I have tendency to look at the causes of a problem. We often preoccupy ourselves with the symptoms, whereas if we went to the root cause of the problems, we would be able to overcome the problems once and for all.

You don't fix the problem until you define it.

When I see something that needs to be corrected, I may talk to a store manager. I don't want to demoralize people when it's beyond their control.

When you hire a plumber because no hot water is coming out of the kitchen sink faucet, you need to go to the water heater, not the faucet.

It is one thing to diagnose a problem; it is another to resolve it.

You always have to decide whether an international problem is like a skinned knee or an abscessed tooth. If it’s a skinned knew with a scab and you start messing with the scab you can make it worse. But if you let it alone, it will heal itself. If it is an abscessed tooth, and you leave it alone, it will only fester more and become a bigger problem.

Problems are cured by facing their cause.

If you can really hear more of the root cause, maybe there are ways that we can get beyond it, or destroy it, actually.

The first step in solving a problem is admitting there is a problem to be solved.

When you have a problem, the first thing to do in addressing it is to honestly identify it.

Everything is relative. If you want to understand a problem you look at its cause. You don’t look at its manifestation.

Trouble that is easily recognized is half-cured.

We can't fix what we do not address.

I never look at the glass as half empty or half full. I look to see who is pouring the water and deal with them.

If in physics there's something you don't understand, you can always hide behind the uncharted depths of nature. You can always blame God. You didn't make it so complex yourself. But if your program doesn't work, there is no one to hide behind. You cannot hide behind an obstinate nature. If it doesn't work, you've messed up.

The most important step in getting a job done is the recognition of the problem. Once I recognize a problem I usually can think of someone who can work it out better than I could.

I avoid grandiose plans. I start with a small piece that I can do. I go to the root of the problem and then work around it. It's building brick by brick.

Fortunately, problems are an everyday part of our life. Consider this: If there were no problems, most of us would be unemployed. Realistically, the more problems we have and the larger they are, the greater our value to our employer.

It seems that we're better at finding someone to blame for our problems than we are at finding creative solutions to fix them.