When I have an open-ended problem without an obvious solution, I often start by systematically questioning all of my assumptions. Why do I believe something is

When I have an open-ended problem without an obvious solution, I often start by systematically questioning all of my assumptions. Why do I believe something is true? We often smuggle in beliefs about the problem that are of questionable provenance or are not actually true on careful inspection. I find that this kind of first principles approach gives me a much better understanding of the nature of the problem. I may still not know how to solve it but it usually gives me insight into how to attack it most effectively.