A Tangled Bunch Of Yarn is an analogy for a problem with no obvious starting point for action. You notice a snarl, and follow it and you reach another snarl, and another, and another. Tangled Bunch Of Yarn problems seem self-evident and simple at first, but quickly spiral into impossible-seeming tasks when you delve in further.
It is easy to justify inaction when faced with this kind of problem.
The thesis is that when you can't find an end at which to start solving the problem, you get out the scissors, snip, and start untangling.
Tangled Bunch Of Yarn problems can not be solved all at once, but must be worked away at, often in ways that seem mundane and pointless. For this reason, it is easy for others to criticize those who are taking action to solve the problem.
Expand: bribery/honesty issues in Nepal.
Quotes
"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." - Theodore Roosevelt
Other sources and related issues
Categories: Stub, Leadership