In plain English, context means framework. When I say Context, I mean the mental framework in your head. It’s composed of things like beliefs, values, expectations, access to and variety of language, point of view, past experiences, and so on.
Even your momentary blood sugar or hormone levels can shift your context. It colors how you interpret every event both internal or external. Whether you see something as good/bad, happy/sad, opportunity/threat, friend/foe, partner/competitor, worth it/not worth it, investment/expense, nourishing/poisonous, etc., is all given by that mental framework.
So while “out there” the event is the same for all, your inside experience can be completely different because it exists in a different context. From the point of the individual, context is decisive.
From the perspective of persuasion and influence, whether personal or in business, shifting someone’s context can shift every single thing about their behavior. And lasting influence comes from your ability to get someone’s context to change.
I’ll be writing more about this over the coming weeks. If you want to know more, sign up for my newsletter. I’ll keep you posted.
Dr.Avinash Talele says
September 1, 2018 at 10:22 amThis is very profound and interesting.
Kindly elaborate on how could we create an empowering context.
DJE says
March 14, 2018 at 2:02 am“Context is Decisive” what coined by Werner Erhard.
A Google search will reveal many papers on it.
Vika says
August 19, 2017 at 9:02 amHow would you shift someone’s context? Thank you
pl says
August 22, 2017 at 4:49 pmHi Vika – the simplest way is to ask them questions to get them thinking about the “right” thing. You can get them out of their current context by asking questions helping them see their thinking may not always be true, if ever.
Brenda says
July 17, 2012 at 10:09 amI would like to know more about “Context is Decisive” Can you suggest a forum, book or articles to help me with this? Is the shifting of Context in a person done consiously with tools or is it more of a hypnosis process? I am intrigued that this can change a person’s life
pl says
July 29, 2012 at 2:00 pmHi Brenda – I wish I could point you to another place for this, but I’m the only person I know who is thinking this thing. ~pl
Dr. David Kamnitzer says
March 27, 2011 at 4:50 amPaul,
This is in alignment with what I teach.
Purpose/Context is everything … in that, without an empowering
context, you can’t access anything authentic and powerful.
Blessings,
Dr. David
Tove says
March 11, 2011 at 4:20 pmI agree with you. Context in this sense is everything. It is like the paradigm of Covey fame – shift the paradigm, and the world moves.
Take care,
Tove
admin says
March 11, 2011 at 10:25 pmThanks, Tove. But paradigm… Covey?
Check out Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Brilliant.
Caral newman says
January 11, 2011 at 6:10 amGreat material..for your next book?
have an idea for you!!!!
Call me
Caral