The Tyranny of Context

This is another cross-category post, but a very important one I find, you’ll notice the tag line on this site “‘Texts matter, but contexts matter even more’ – Apply liberally”. I do mean to apply this principle liberally, to everything I can find. To theology, to programming, to design, to life, to everything.

We are bound very tightly to the context in which we live. We are bound so tightly we do not realize it. This is why new experiences and new places are so formative for people. When you have no context for a new experience it is thrilling and exciting and you end up creating a context for it.

As this post talks about the context of technology in your life. Some people ridicule, from the objective perspective, technologies affect on people and society, but fail to recognize that in their own life – in its context.

Putting the context behind a historical figure (like Jesus for instance) illuminates his actions. You can do that with any historical figure, and it is necessary to do that when you study them. Without the context you are creating your own context based on yourself and your situation, rather than on the historical figure. No wonder it creates confusion and a lack of understanding.

Putting the context behind design matters as well. This post at 37signals just goes to show the unintended consequences of decoration. The decoration created a context that made things confusing.

Always pay attention to the context.