Context, because it matters.

con·text

ˈkäntekst/

noun

noun: context; plural noun: contexts

the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

I am currently in CMST240 Intercultural Communication.  It is fascinating because of the different lenses that are used to gather, interpret, and understand different cultures in order to assist in communication.

Two of the three lenses don't even look at context. The circumstances, history, location that lead to understanding of norms in a given culture.

What is more interesting is how this applies to relating with people. People read this blog and think they know how I relate with my child, or BadBoi, or the Knife, or Kyle, or any number of other people that I might mention. Sometimes, they even comment on it with disparaging remarks.

And what they have taken in is simply data. They do not have information, because they do not have context. They have data taken at a finite moment in time. And then they make an ass out of themselves by making assumptions about who they think I am or what they think that I am about based on that bit of data, without context.

I find it unfair to be subject to this kind of assumption. I also find it cruel. If you feel a need to make an assumption about me, you might want to ask about the context of post so you can make an informed decision.