Dilemmas

When certain issues that we face appear impervious to a definitive solution, it becomes useful to classify them as Dilemmas. Many problems associated with COVID-19 are actually dilemmas. While dilemmas like problems are complicated, they are also complex, in that each of the many elements embedded in the dilemmas is connected to each (or most) of the other elements (Miller and Page, 2007). We may view the issue from one perspective and take action to alleviate one part of the issue, and we immediately confront another part of the issue, often represented by an opposing point of view offered (with passion) by other members of our family. community or society.

We loosen up our policies regarding the re-opening of businesses and find that rates of infection and death are rising dramatically. We let our son spend wonderful time with his girlfriend. He is very thankful, but other members of our family are fearful and even angry about his “selfish” behavior (“after all this is only a passing infatuation”). Leaders of a society and members of a family may not always recognize a dilemma for what it is. We tend to see dilemmas in a limited or simplistic way and attempt to deal with them as if they are puzzles or problems. When that happens, we dig ourselves deeper and deeper into the complexity, seriousness, and tragedy. Our navigation of the pandemic sea is a “mess”. It is more a “swamp” then a sea. (Schön, 1996).

At times we find that the issue actually is embedded in several sets of nested dilemmas. One set of conflicting priorities exists within another set of conflicting priorities. For instance, we want to give our son a chance to be in love but are concerned that if we do so other members of our family (and our son himself) will be at risk. This dilemma, in turn, rests inside an even bigger dilemma: we want to be considerate of the feelings experienced by each member of our family; yet we are concerned that feelings take the place of security. We want to live a high-quality life (complete with feelings), yet we also want to remain alive so that we can have this high-quality life. These are very complex dilemmas – not readily solved puzzles or even complicated problems.

As in the case of problems, dilemmas can be described as “rugged landscapes.” However, because dilemmas involve multiple elements that are intimately interlinked, they are far more than a cluster or range of mountain peaks of similar size. This type of complex landscape is filled not only with many mountains of about the same height, but also with many river valleys and forests. Think of the Appalachian Mountains (in the Eastern United States) or the Alps (in Europe). Compare this with a landscape in which one mountain peak dominates or in which a series of mountains dominate. In a complex, rugged landscape, one finds not only abundant competing viewpoints and values, but also an intricate interweaving of these differing viewpoints and values.