Context is everything. A bold statement? Not really, if you think about it. In fact, it seems that the lion share of the problems that we face in our world are the result of improper awareness of context. Geopolitical issues are often the result of contextual misunderstandings, not only between differing cultures, but among the individual nations who believe that they ought to fight to secure the greatest access to resources possible. Failure to recognize context is at the heart of poor investments, poor performance in school, failed relationships, and jobs lost.
In this sense, the human sense, context is just another word for foresight and hindsight. We, as humans, seem to be really bad at considering the full context of the fragment of the world within which we live and operate. Some of this is probably due to the limitations of sensation and knowledge. Contemporary economists point to the lack of "perfect" information, and "perfect" rationality as limitations to classical economic theory. In a way, this lack of "perfection" is a lack of contextual understanding.
I think computers are helping to broaden our understanding of contextual issues. However, the internet also allows people to further insulate themselves from a full understanding of contextual issues by giving them a means of perpetuating instantiated beliefs through selective consumption of information. Will the future find us more rational, more informed, or more polarized?
Computer technology makes it easier to get ahold of information, which does broaden our understanding of technology. It seems like all of the information we need is right at our fingertips whenever we need it. Therefore, our contextual understanding is increased when it comes to information. In the future, we might end up having more of a relationship with our computers rather than with other people, which would hurt our contextual understanding of society and human emotions. Computers allow us to gain context in one are of our lives (such as ease of gathering information), but the more we rely on them, the more it decreases context in other areas (such as human relationships).
ReplyDeleteI think that is happening now, I couldn't last a week without my computer so what does that tell you? it means that we already been hooked with them, same thing as a relationship. I guess what im saying is that future you are talking about is happening now.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt, computers help human to understand context well. But, I think, human are the critical factor. We design a way in which computers can help us more. We decide the future.
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ReplyDeleteIt's true that we a re already hooked to technology. Most professors require when you write a document to computer generate it using word or another writing program. Movies can't be made anymore without using a computer; they can, but it is much harder to get the effect that you want, and if the technology is there, why not use it? I see improper awareness of contextualization at my work all the time. It's always going to be an issue, because that's the human way. I like your use of the apes, Zack.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to isolating ourselves further and creating narrower contexts for ourselves, I hope that the continuing expanse of the internet will help broaden our horizons. In another one of my classes, we discussed how blogs actually can further promote small contexts and continued isolation from other view points as people tend to only read the blogs that agree with their ideology. With increasing links and advertisements though, I think that the internet will help grab people's attentions to new things, directing them to view different sites, and hopefully expand the context they think within.
ReplyDeleteI agree that context is everything, and yes, PC's allow people to operate their lives from behind monitors and keyboads now a days if they want, but i also think that PC's offer far more benefits. I personally google, or search itmes i am unfamiliar with all the time...that helps me put things in context, catch 22?
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