When people have differing values, fact gathering cannot possible resolve their disagreements. Carefully collected facts can demolish the rationalizations through which some people evade the problem. Facts are exceedingly important, but we need a clear understanding of what can and what cannot be accomplished by fact gathering. Social scientist are invited to produce quick painless social panaceas that will solve the problems without anyone's sacrifice of money, power, or sentiment - an impossibility. The genuine solution of social problems nearly always involves sweeping institutional changes that require unpleasant sacrifices.
Most institutional changes come slowly, as do basic solutions of social problems.
Some improvement may be possible without major institutional change but whether such partial solutions should be attempted is a question that separates conservatives and liberals from radicals and revolutionaries. Our attitudes and values determine the meanings we attach to the facts we observe. Possibly the most widespread attitude is that of unconcern or indifference. General interest in a problem is likely to develop only when people sense a serious threat to there welfare or a particularly shocking denial of their values. Another common attitude is the passive acceptance of misfortune.