Puzzles and Mysteries

Puzzles and Mysteries

It is important to distinguish between a puzzle and a mystery; how you approach the search for a solution for each involves a different process and skills.

Necessary and Sufficient

Recognize that folks may confuse some basic requirements with doing enough to meet some objective; that is, they are focusing only on what is necessary, without appreciating that this alone will not be sufficient.

When You Find Yourself in a Hole, Stop Digging

Someday things will be going from bad to worse.  Perhaps you are stuck working on a task and things keep degrading further or, try what you might, things keep devolving.  At this point, it is time to stop doing what got you to this point — you are in a hole and the first step to getting out is to stop digging deeper.

Why Proofread?

Some readers may infer from non-standard writing that the person doing the crafting was either ignorant of the proper forms or too lazy to proofread, neither of which reflects well on the writer.

Occam's Razor

When considering solutions, try something easy, inexpensive, or not disruptive first.  The simple fix may work and risks little.