A few days ago, I came across an interesting observation. It appears that the anti-China sentiment among average Americans has somewhat alleviated. This shift in attitude may be because they have come to realize that years of blaming China for the country’s problems didn’t address issues like the crisis at the southern border, rising crime rates in big cities, outdated infrastructure, deindustrialization, and polarization.
While it’s disappointing to see politicians resort to scapegoating to gain votes and power, there’s at least a valuable lesson for us all in this situation: the importance of correctly identifying a problem by understanding the background and the root causes.
I remember when my children were young and would argue, my son often asked, “What’s your problem?” My daughter’s frequent response was, “I don’t know.” How can one solve the problem when one doesn't know what the problem is?
So, the initial step in solving any problem is to understand its background and root cause.
Take deindustrialization, for example. A good starting point is the nonfiction book The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer. It examines the country’s transformation from the 1970s to the 2010s, highlighting the economic, social, and political changes over time.
Given the U.S. capitalist system, the shift towards offshoring manufacturing was ultimately driven by profit motives. Understanding this economic and historical context reveals that the visible stories, such as the rust belt’s decline or the loss of jobs or the hillbilly elegy, are just symptoms; they are not the root causes. It's like fever is a symptom of an underlying disease. It takes careful analysis and wisdom to look beyond the surface and truly identify the core issues.
The same principle applies on an individual level. To solve a problem, you need to go deeper than the apparent symptoms and understand the underlying causes. Only then can meaningful solutions be found.
A Chinese poem goes, "不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中" (Bù shí Lú Shān zhēn miàn mù, zhǐ yuán shēn zài cǐ shān zhōng) meaning: "One does not recognize the true face of Mount Lu simply because one is within the mountain." The poem emphasizes the challenge of seeing the whole picture when you are too immersed in the situation. That is, you need a broader perspective to identify and address core issues.
In the end, whether addressing national challenges or personal dilemmas, a deeper understanding of the root causes will guide us towards effective solutions.