The quote by Jean De La Bruyere: "Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think," may seem a bit radical, however, according to the premise of cognitive psychology, what you think is what you feel. Here are seven-steps for an effective problem-solving process. 1. Identify the issues. 2. Be clear about what the problem is. ... 3. Understand everyone's interests. ... 4. List the possible solutions (options) ... 5. Evaluate the option 6. Select an option