"Problems are the price of progress. Don't bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me"

Charles F. Kettering’s words urge a radical reframing of how one should engage with challenges and setbacks. By regarding problems as the price of progress, he suggests that advancement is inextricably linked with difficulty, achievement is not possible without its accompanying obstacles. Rather than symptoms of something gone wrong, problems become evidence of movement and growth. To truly innovate, one must not only tolerate setbacks but actively seek them out, as they are the currency paid for any meaningful improvement.

The second phrase, "Don't bring me anything but trouble", is both provocative and empowering. It upends the instinct to shield leaders or thinkers from difficulties, instead positioning trouble as raw material for creativity. Kettering seems to relish adversity, viewing every unforeseen challenge or failure as an invitation for ingenuity and persistence. Just as the forge uses heat and pressure to shape metal, he sees trouble as the crucible in which progress is made. Encouraging a flow of only “good news” risks complacency and stagnation. When problems are hidden, ignored, or shunned, the drive to invent or improve is blunted.

“Good news weakens me,” the final phrase, is a striking paradox. Most crave reassurance, yet Kettering views comfort as a potential adversary. Too much affirmation can dull motivation, leading to self-satisfaction and a halt in growth. By admitting that good news has the power to weaken, he acknowledges that steady, unchallenged positivity breeds inertia, while adversity sharpens resolve. For innovators, entrepreneurs, and thinkers, this perspective breeds resilience and a hunger for creative solutions. Growth demands discomfort; solutions await in the spaces where things don’t yet work.

Taken together, Kettering’s perspective champions a mindset where struggle is integral to accomplishment. Rather than seeking comfort, he advocates leaning into the abrasive edge of progress, knowing that each problem faced is a step toward innovation.