Ah, Context. Something that can bring down the mightiest of us all. Especially when content is taken out of context!
The key to truth is often found in the context.
Everything in life happens through a series of action and/or inaction. Life is fluid and needs to be viewed from different angles.
It’s like taking a single still from a video clip. We can wait until something looks weird or out of place and then freeze-frame the shot. People can look awesome for 99% of the video, but then horrible at the 1%.
The importance of context
Think about it, juries often determine guilt or innocence by the context in which the case is framed. Then the judge uses the context of the case to determine a sentence. Thus, we have terms like justifiable homicide, first-fifth degree assault, mitigating circumstances, manslaughter, Class A,B,C felonies etc.
All of these are determined by the context of circumstances and talked about using terms like – intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, negligently, omission, commission, causation etc.
Context is vital to understand pretty much everything. And in my opinion things taken out of context have been used to justify everything from divorce to war and even the slaughter of people, plants and animals.
Social Problem # 1
Things taken out of context can be skewed to fit any opinion whatsoever. All one must do is isolate a point in time, a split-second action/inaction or an apparent compromised position. Then spread it across the digital universe we all live in and Voila – ‘Fake news’ is born.
Social Problem #2
If this out of context information spreads wide enough, it eventually becomes blown out of proportion. Especially if enough people believe it. If someone forms an opinion strong enough, they may use – out of context information – as an excuse to justify any action or judgement deemed suitable.
For example – If a video, image, joke or meme starts to spread showing someone at their worst it’s easy to jump to a conclusion that they are obvious a jerk in the least or maybe even a nazi (in some political circles). And we all know jerks should be shunned or verbally berated at least, and Nazis need to be put down whatever the cost.
Of course, the opposite may also happen. If we continue to show clips of people only at their best, we could make them look like heroes. And we all know hero’s need to be put up on pedestals for everyone to see, or given awards at glamours awards ceremonies.
Social Problem # 3
This was probably represented best throughout the whole, everybody must be canceled, fad. Even if you were innocent it didn’t matter.
Remember all the media darlings, social network ‘influencers’, news channels or anyone who had it out for someone posted a past photo, quote or video of you doing something that looked even remotely offensive. Then some small group of loud and obnoxious people started the chant – Crucify, Crucify, Crucify them… No wait, that was a long time ago. Today we are more civilized and just call out – Cancel, Cancel, Cancel them.
It was, and still is, amazing how many would have someone socially shunned, boycotted, fired, or even had criminal charges filed against them regardless of the accuracy of the information. Which typically meant some past image, quote or video is taken completely out of context or doesn’t fit the narrative of the time.
Just ask Johnny Depp, Terry Crews, Liam Neesom, Gina Carano, Donald Trump, Al Franken, Riley Gaines, Michael Phelps, Dave Chapelle, J.K. Rowling or all those who are not so famous who had problems caused by some perceived offense.
Solution # 1 (and only one!)
We need to get all the information possible before judging things around us. Especially in the information sources we absorb. Before we jump to any big conclusion find the big picture through deductive reasoning. Find the context of images, watch the entire video not just clips, read the full report, who sourced the material, review alternative sources etc.
If we surround ourselves with only the things we agree with then we filter everything through our own limited context. Which might just be out of context…