At first glance of the problem, it seems somewhat a catch 22 situation. Superficially, it seems as if all the possibilities will end up having one, two, or all the animals killing each other. There are three animals in question and a man who needs to cross the animals to the other side of the river; the dog, the mouse and the cat. The dog can eat the cat and the cat can also eat the mouse. The first thought that crossed my mind is that the problem can be solved but it required some superior technique of thinking. The problem was like a riddle. Practically the problem represented one of those life challenges where one only had one chance to make a crucial decision in a situation where there were multiple options.
Decision-making is usually easier when the options are limited; however, when options are multiple the process of making a decision becomes more and more complex. I approached the problem by laying out the facts first:
- One animal could only be carried at a time.
- The dog could not be left with the cat.
- The cat could not be left with the dog.
- The only two animals that could be left together are the dog and the mouse.
The second approach was that the problem was meant to be solved and that there had to be a solution. Then I set out to find a solution to the problem. I was already aware of the risks at hand and the available opportunities. Secondly, I employed the power of simulation to try out all the available opportunities. A simulation is a tool that has been used by many scientists especially when dealing with situations that is life-threatening. For instance, when Ben Carson set out to perform the first surgery to separate conjoined twins, simulation of the actual surgery in his mind helped him to determine the kind of tools and equipment he would need for the surgery and the challenges that he may encounter. (Carson, 1992). Just as outlined by Morris and Maisto, “when we think we are simply talking to ourselves?” The statement implies that when we strengthen the process of ‘talking to ourselves then perhaps we can optimize the process of thinking. (Morris & Maisto, 2005). The progress in this instance was obvious because when all the animals were alive I knew that the progress was positive. Luckily, there was always a warning in the instances that the wrong decision was made.
Every process of decision-making or problem solving is bound to have challenges. This is because some problems may emerge that were not anticipated. I decided to cross with the cat first, I however realized that it would be impossible to leave the cat with the mouse. Crossing with the mouse also meant that the dog would eat the cat. The major problem was to decide on the animal to cross with first.
The thought process I had employed was not apparent to me and t is observable that I made use of my instincts in combination with what I had read in literature. This is because I was already aware that there was certainly a solution to the problem, and that the process required critical thinking.
References
- Carson, B. (1992). Think Big. Michigan: Zondervan.
- Morris, G & Maisto, A. (2005). Psychology: An Introduction. New York: Prentice-Hall.