Worse Poison ivy can make life miserable. The rash itself is hard to take, but the urge to itch is torture. To give in to the overwhelming temptation to scratch, though, only makes the problem worse. The poison spreads, and the agony is compounded. The right solution to the predicament is to apply some healing cream and to keep from doing what itchy skin cries out for you to do.
Broken relationships can make life miserable too.
But, like dealing with poison ivy, our natural response may only make matters worse. Many times our attempted solutions just don't work. To avoid making those kinds of mistakes, let's look at some tactics that are ineffective or self-defeating. The largest bird in the world, the ostrich, has the undeserved reputation of responding to imminent danger by sticking its head in the sand. That seems foolish.