世间本无事 庸人自扰之

Is there a problem?

The 17th-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal once said, "All the troubles of man come from his not knowing how to sit still."

I would add to this, "... and not knowing when to sit still."

In 1967. Israel was at war with Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. In the midst of what became known as the Six Day War, a reporter asked former British prime minister Harold Macmillan what he thought about the problem in the Middle East.

Without hesitation, the then statesman answered, "There is no problem in the Middle East."

The reporter was stunned.

"What do you mean," the reporter demanded to know. "Don't you know there's a vicious war going on? Don't you realize that as we are speaking, bombs are falling from sky, tanks are blowing each other up, and soldiers are being sprayed by bullets? Many people are dead or wounded. What do you mean, "There's no problem in the Middle East?"

The experienced statesman patiently explained: "Sir, a problem is something with a solution. There is no solution to the Middle East. Therefore, it can't be a problem.

How much time do we waste in our lives worrying about things that, at the time, have no solutions, so aren't a problem?