“We
need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re
falling in.”
~ Desmund Tutu
The
hero runs to the water’s edge and is able to dramatically pull a person from the
water. As he catches his breath, he sees
yet another person floundering in the stream, and then another and another. As a friend runs by, the rescuer, desperate for
relief with the cause, yells for help.
When the friend keeps running, there is obvious frustration from the
exhausted protagonist, who screams, “Where can you possibly be going that is
more important than helping save these poor drowning people?” Without hesitation, the simple response is, “I
am going to find out why they are falling in the river!”
The
story/quote is a metaphor for how we approach problem solving in our lives of
service. Specifically, it is model for prevention. We all want to make the world a better place –
we all want to stop people from drowning.
This quote suggests that our efforts can be more effective if we tackle
the reason for the problem, instead of just the problem.
As
educators thinking about how we can help students, this story is a good
reminder to think about root causes for students’ behaviors, instead of just
addressing the behaviors. Sometimes we need
to ask students, “What can I do to help you?” or “Is there something going on
you want to talk about?”
It also
has value when we think of how to address personal challenges. Instead of simply treating the “symptoms,” we
need to look at root causes. This means
asking questions of ourselves in order to get to the “whys” of what is
bothering us. It means taking the time
and the effort to get upstream to figure out why the people are falling in!
Have a great week!
Mary
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