Nothing we do happens in a vaccum.
Nothing we experience occurs in isolation from everything else.
The things we might label as “good”, “bad”, “useful”, “problematic”, or any other descriptor – these aren’t descriptions of their inherent qualities.
They’re contextual. We only see the thing as good, or bad, or helpful, or troublesome in relation to other factors.
This isn’t a problem, per se. It’s simply how life is.
Something that’s beneficial in one set of circumstances can be harmful in another. Our ability to judge things in parallel allows us to take in the whole picture – to evaluate if the sum of the parts adds up in a way that pleases us.
That’s a helpful skill. But if we’re not careful, our inability to separate content from context can be our undoing.
When the context is wrong, it’s easy to jump to conclusions and assume the content is to blame. However, that’s not always the case.
Before we pass our final judgment, it’s worth taking some time to consider if we’ve set ourselves up to evaluate it properly.
Case in point:
If your goal is to listen to a piece of music, critically analyse it, and figure out how it makes you feel…
The best place to do that is in a silent room. One that’s free of any external distractions. One where you can turn your attention to the task at hand and devote yourself to processing the piece in its entirety.
When you do this, you’re able to hear it as it is – not as other factors in your environment might shape it to be.
Yes, there are still many ways that context can influence our perception of the content.
We might listen with poor-quality headphones or speakers.
We may not pay full attention as the music unfolds.
It might remind us of another song we’ve heard (one we didn’t like), leading us to form first impressions that stick out in our minds.
Despite this, the best way to evaluate something as it is remains the same:
Give it a chance in isolation before we place it in context.
Because simply by zooming out and taking it in as a part rather than a whole of its own, we alter its nature.