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.

6 Responses

  1. Brenda

    I 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

    Reply
    • pl

      Hi 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

      Reply
  2. Dr. David Kamnitzer

    Paul,

    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

    Reply
  3. Tove

    I 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

    Reply
    • admin

      Thanks, Tove. But paradigm… Covey?

      Check out Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Brilliant.

      Reply

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