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The title of this article seems to induce a kind of "duh" feeling, even within myself. I might as well have titled it "The Importance of Eating" or "The Importance of Breathing." The truth is that most can see that problem solving has an extreme importance in today's fast-paced society. We are continually pressured to make important decisions with more speed and more efficiency. It is important though to examine just where all the emphasis upon problem solving came from and why the idea came about. The emphasis upon problem solving in everyday situations arose significantly from the ideas of the philosopher John Dewey. His works in the philosophy of education had a profound effect on the manner in which teachers do their job. But it is important to realize what Dewey was battling in his ideas. The antagonist to Dewey's emphasis upon problem solving was the teaching style of earlier times, namely, that of fact memorization-listen and repeat. Dewey