Is This Fixable?: Understanding the Potential of Repair and Renewal in Our World
As humans, we have an innate tendency to mend, to fix, and to restore. From a lost button to a broken heart, our natural impulse is to take something broken and make it whole again. In recent years, the concept of "fixing" has taken on new meaning as we confront the numerous environmental, social, and economic challenges that beset our world.
But can everything be fixed? Are all problems soluble, all harm reversible, and all systems sustainable? While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, an increasing body of evidence suggests that yes, many issues are fixable, provided we take proactive steps towards understanding and addressing the underlying root causes.
Environmental Issues
From climate change to plastic pollution, our environment faces unprecedented threats. The consequences of inaction can be dire, from more frequent natural disasters to biodiversity loss and ecological collapse. Yet, many of these issues can be addressed through policy reforms, technological innovation, and behavioral changes.
Renewable energy, for example, is now economically viable, with prices of solar panels and wind turbines dropping significantly over the past decade. Carbon capture technology and eco-friendly construction practices can reduce our environmental footprint further. Meanwhile, increased public awareness and advocacy are prompting policymakers to prioritize climate action.
Social Inequities
Gaps in economic opportunities, social inequality, and educational attainment have created persistent divisions in many societies. The rise of populist politics has heightened awareness of these issues, as millions of people cry out for justice, inclusivity, and respect.
Yet, addressing social inequalities is within our reach. Investments in education and workforce development, as well as initiatives that promote affordable healthcare, access to nutritious food, and secure housing, can all help level the playing field. Addressing the systemic causes of poverty and marginalization will also require confronting entrenched racism, sexism, and discrimination.
Technological Limitations
No matter how much technology advances, some limitations may prove inherent or nearly insurmountable. Quantum computers, for instance, promise unparalleled computational power, yet even they face practical hurdles, such as scalability and error correction. Certain problems, like black hole singularity, or cosmic distances, may resist complete comprehension.
Moreover, not every problem is uniquely tied to technology; cultural and philosophical frameworks often guide our decision-making processes and worldview. Changing how we perceive value, morality, or humanity’s role in the world can lead to paradigmatic shifts and inspire innovation in response to longstanding issues.
Consequences of Unfixable
Admittedly, a proportion of problems will elude fixability, for the foreseeable future or altogether. Consider, for instance:
- In some instances, entropy, gravity, and physical laws make restoration impractical or impossible, like reconstructing the trajectory of a star exploding eons ago.
- Systemic corruption, corruption at high levels of governance, and long-standing injustice might also render solutions inaccessible, requiring an unbroken succession of effective leadership, committed reforms, and genuine community buy-in.
- Personal suffering and existential threats to individual humans may resist alleviation through technological fixes alone; healing often involves multifaceted support systems and non-linear interventions.
In these situations, a new appreciation for resilience, gratitude for incremental progress, and ongoing reflection on what works best are essential for preserving humanity’s collective will.
The Future of Fixability
In conclusion, many pressing challenges in our world can be addressed and remedied with persistence, determination, and collaborative action. Fixing requires acknowledgment of problems’ root causes, mobilizing diverse resources and perspectives, and understanding both our environmental and societal impact. It is imperative we nurture open dialogue, acknowledge areas of complexity or unknowability, and, simultaneously, commit to a sustained process of discovery and creative problem-solving.
Though all issues might not be 100% fixable in every moment, an empowered human endeavor will, nevertheless, unlock opportunities for continuous progress and collective healing, demonstrating the transformative potential within ourselves to make the impossible seem… possible once again.
Looks like I set the wrong angle on my cuts. Is this fixable with wood filler and caulk? Or should I just redo it?
Caulking and paint.
You don’t need wood filler. Caulking would be just as good by itself. But redoing it would look 100% better.
If you have the wood it’s way faster and easier to just cut a new piece and forget about it.
Nothing a little wood filler and caulk can’t hide. But I’d just remove it and cut it proper.
“caulk and paint makes the carpenter I aint”
I would re-do it so you really learn the lesson and don’t make the same mistake again 🙂
That would ALWAYS catch my eye. Recut and move it up. Can you caulk at the bottom or patch in paint?
With caulk all things are possible
I would wood putty the gap, clean up the seams with a putty knife, sand and paint.
Caulking
I personally would take it down and scribe the correct fitment.
It you have the same offcuts you could cut a sliverr to the correct angle.
You can fix it with wood filler and repaint
Test your cut with short pieces (cut-offs). You don’t have a 90-degree corner there. Then cut you trim.
You may be better off squaring the frame and fitting the door before trimming it out.
Caulk or wood filler but that’s only if the door works correctly
Lol you thought things were square in homes
Yes. Cut a new piece of molding, You can use this one as a template and make sure it’s longer on this side.
Depends on if it’s cut poorly or if it’s trim on a prehung door that got jostled around during installation. If it’s bad cuts I’d use caulk, if it’s messy installation I’d take the trim off and reinstall to be more flush, then finish with a little
If you’re planning on living there long term, then fix it. You won’t regret fixing it, but you may regret NOT fixing it.
A little caulk,
A little paint
Makes a carpenter
What he ain’t
Caulked it, doesn’t look terrible but also doesn’t look great
Yes, pry it off the wall, throw it in the trash, measure, cut and nail up a correctly sized piece. That’s how you fix it. YW
Toothpaste
Can’t see it from my house…Put a bead on it!