The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.

The most important thing I learned in my MSW program at SUNY Albany 1970-1972 was from Dr. Maureen Didier who repeatedly told us "You have to take the client where they're at, not where you think they should be, where they ought to be, where they must be, you have to take the client where they're at."  I always laugh when I share this nugget of wisdom because it was 53 years ago now when she taught me this. Her wisdom has stood me in such good stead both professionally and personally.

Another important moral platitude is "love the sinner, hate the sin." In Narrative Therapy this way of perceiving the situation is called "externalization." The problem is externalized from the person. The platitude about externalization is "the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem" so what's the problem? We give people identifying names, based on the problem that has invaded their life, like "alcoholic" and "diabetic" and "schizophrenia" and "depressive" and "borderline". It is usually much more accurate  to say things like "the person for whom alcohol is creating problems," etc. This small reframe can facilitate an "externalized conversation" which is much more helpful and productive in figuring out ways to manage the problem.

The problem we are facing as a society might be stated as "how is autocracy undermining democratic processes and contributing to increased inequality and injustice?" If you have another word for "autocracy" labeling the problem what might it be? Once we have agreement on what to call this thing that is negatively impacting us we have a better chance of minimizing or eliminating its impact on us.