A study published Thursday by psychologists at the University of North Carolina concluded that all American problemsfrom stuck jacket zippers to the national debtcould be solved if citizens just stopped, took a deep breath, and thought for two seconds before they acted. 'We found that in 93 percent of cases, a positive outcome could have been achieved if Americans simply splashed a little water on their faces prior to dealing with an unfair boss, being out of clean spoons, signing on to direct a second Wall Street film, or answering a call from a parent,' Janet Mallory, the study's lead author, told reporters. 'Our data indicate that when U.S. citizens don't take a second to compose themselves, they typically charge in like maniacs and hurt either themselves or several million Iraqi civilians.' Mallory said a good rule of thumb for Americans is to think of a plan, stop, and then do the complete opposite. 