You have probably heard it said (often, if you are in the second year of my class!) that context is everything. Okay, so I admit, it is definitely a cliche, but I would also like to suggest that it is a whole lot more than that.
I recently read a blog post in which a woman detailed a story about attending a church service that was very "charismatic." In other words, people were very vocal and enthusiastic in their worship style. She was okay with that, at least at first. But it really started becoming annoying to her when a woman behind her started yelling "Glory!" and sometimes, "Glory, Glory, Glory!" during the service and the preacher's sermon. Once was fine. Twice or three times was pushing it. But when it became constant, the blogger had enough. She had formed a judgment about this woman
and it wasn't a complimentary one.
After the service, the blogger stopped to speak with the pastor's wife, who was a friend.
The pastor's wife asked, "Did you happen to notice the woman who sat behind you today?" The blogger commented that yes, indeed, she had noticed her, but she stopped herself from saying anything negative or judgmental that she might regret (she was in a church, after all!). That was when the pastor's wife said, "Her son was killed just last week in a drive by shooting." The pastor's wife went on to share what an inspiration the woman had been to everyone at the church in the way she had clung to her faith through her pain, "It's truly beautiful," she said.
In that moment, everything changed. No longer did the blogger see the woman as an obnoxious, over zealous church goer. The woman calling out, "Glory!" had suffered unspeakable loss and tragedy; she was a human being who was bravely confronting her pain and suffering. The blogger posted these words: "When we know context, we are slower to judge, slower to write people off, slower to feel disdain, and slower to puff ourselves up in self-righteous [or indignant] pride."*
Communication and social interaction processes are an integral part of our every day lives; at school, at work, and at home. In each of these situations, both our culture and the unique context of our individual lives and situations play a role in how information is communicated, received, and most importantly, understood. This is such an important revelation as you take in the flurry of information hurled in almost rapid fire succession at you everyday. Whether in watching the news, paging through advertisements, engaging in hallway gossip, or just making your own observations, you must always consider the role that the larger context of that message or sound bite is playing.
This should inspire this question in us all:
Who is judging you without a context today? All of us can
do only so much to allow others to see the "bigger picture." But ultimately; in a world of Snapchats, Instagram, Facebook Posts, short tweets and snippets of time that people may see us in the grocery store, hallway, or out on the field, they are going to see what they want to see, make of it what they will, and form an instant judgement. This shouldn't surprise us; after all, we live in a hurried, "instant" world. Personally, I'd like to hope that people who see me out and about, at my best
and my worst, will give me the benefit of the doubt...
I have attached a video link here that highlights the results of a very interesting experiment. Several photographers were hired (unaware of each other) to photograph the same man. Each photographer was given a simple background or "context" of their subject. None of them were true, and all were very different from each other. It's very interesting how it affected even their artistic choices! Please watch it by clicking this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-TyPfYMDK8
Share what you learned in the video, and what your own life experiences have taught you about the importance of context.
We live in a fast moving, rapidly changing world of quick reactions and snap judgements. Maybe it would do us all good to stop, take a deep breath, and consider all the experiences, emotions, interactions and relationships that have brought us to this very moment. Maybe it would do us all
one better if we took the time to stop and consider all the possible factors that have brought each individual we encounter to this moment, as well...
(*Booker, Adriel. "Context is Everything,"
I Still Belong blog, 2017)
I feel like without context, the world really is just judgement without any backing for them. I see it all the time in school, people making a judgement of someone of something they said, not knowing the context behind it. I see it in the news, which is one of the main places I see context being misused. Police are being seen as terrible people because people aren't given the context of the situation, people never see the victim pull out a knife on the Police, making death threats. Even sometimes I don't bother looking into the context, because everyone has made a quick judgement in their lives. It's why sometimes social media is bad, but also good. Although most people see it as something that is hindering our ability to connect with people. In some cases, they are right, but what they don't see is the fact that Social media can help provide more context then ever. Now we can connect with our friends wherever we are, we can see how they are doing without seeing their face. We don't see face to face much, but that's what makes talking face to face special, it makes it a more powerful and meaningful conversation. Context defines someone's judgement, so if we have no context or have the wrong context, is someone judgement fair?
ReplyDeleteThe video helped show the impact of stories and imagination in all of our lives, I think. We hear different things, and immediately, our minds either jump to a story we know or have heard of or we don't even bother to imagine any kind of story behind it, we simply take and maybe even forget the words at face value. For many actions or consequences, we'll never quite know the context of the story. But maybe the idea of considering the different contexts could help more than knowing the context ever could.
ReplyDeleteI know that personally I have constantly been known as the Hippo Girl or the Hippo Lady. Chances are, any hippo someone sees, they think of me. I've had a few people interested in the why, but to be honest, I don't know the why too well myself. Sometimes context doesn't matter at the beginning, but the whole. Hippos have always been a comfort for me, so if having a stuffed animal at school is going to look weird/feel unprofessional or pillowpet at an airport is going to get me my age asked, I don't care. It helps me, and I'm never going to stop being the Hippo Girl or Lady. But maybe that's not where my context starts, maybe it's not where it stops.
Context is large, confusing and often both specific and vague. It's a complex monster of circumstances, so maybe we'll never fully know and maybe we never need to know. We just need to consider that there are tons of possible contexts and keep an open mind. People will never know me fully and I'll never know them fully, and while I try to read people to know as much as I can, I won't always be right. Context leads a person to where they are, but it's so subjective and changing that it's impossible to know it all, so maybe we need to stop pretending that we know it all and accept all of the learning.
I must admit, I am guilty in judging based on what I see, forming assumptions without having the full context and sharing my observations with my closest friends. I guess you could say its a bad habit of mine because I do so often that I have come accustom to it, but it isn't until I'm laying in bed, evaluating all my choices I did that day, that I realized what I did was wrong because I just imagine someone else judging me based on what I show. I feel like nowadays, people do it so often that they don't even realize their doing it. Everywhere you go there is always someone who is talking about someone. Many people form their judgments based on a small version of that person. But what does is say about the judger. Even my parents make judgments about anyone who doesn't fit their version of normal, for instance, to them people who listens to hard rock are weirdos, which then leads into the argument about how do you know? which they always respond to because I just know or I've lived a lot longer than you have. so I try to understand from where their coming from. Their experiences influence how they see someone. Our experiences can change the way we view someone.
ReplyDeleteMonique, I honestly think we are all guilty of it. It is in simplest terms, how we are wired. Our experiences teach us, and that is good, but we forget that the world isn't a giant vacuum. There are so many intervening variables in any one situation.
DeleteWhen someone believes that they know our story, they develop an image of us in their minds. This is very much what happened in the video. A stereotype image was created as soon as the photographer was given the story of the subject to be photographed and this story truly affected their vision of this character. This gives me an understanding of how a small story(even true or false) can affect someone's view of you. This gives me perspective of how unwillingly I judge someone. I try not to be biased towards someone until I understand their story and even then I try to be sympathetic towards someone because they are another human being. But, we do unwillingly make judgments and this makes me see just how much someone can be affected by our vision of them. Context can tell you what someone has been through and that can give you clues as to how to react in a kind and sympathetic way.
ReplyDeleteI really like the message of this video because it shows how learning one small story about someone, whether it be true or false, causes us to make judgments about them before we know any of the context. I think a lot of the time we don't realize it when we do this, and it can be harmful to us and the people we judge. I've seen rumors spread about people that aren't true and then it causes everyone to have predetermined thoughts about them and treat them completely differently even though the original story wasn't true, which can harm all of us and be especially hurtful to that person. I hope I can recognize when I make these judgments about people and wait to hear all the details without jumping to any conclusions. I think it would benefit all of us to incorporate this way of thinking into our lives and into our school community so we can be more accepting and understanding of those around us.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is so important to consider context, and find out all we can BEFORE making judgements.
DeleteI guess without context is just assuming you know a character based on what you have seen and heard. Context is a very important thing that shows a deeper and better understanding for a person. That video was very moving because the photographers didn't know anything about him until he said was wasn't true about his life and situation. It has taught me to be more open-minded as an individual and to step into someone else's shoes but not through how we see it but what it really is. Judgement should never have to be because it doesn't always go the right way and can be deceiving or upsetting. It may cause a certain reaction but we can always just let it go and get over it later so it doesn't seem condescending to others. You don't necessarily have to like them but getting to know them first will really show how you should really feel about a person.
ReplyDeleteI learned form the video that without knowing the context of someones behavior you don't truly know the person and their true story. Knowing why someone does something or why they are how they are is very important to understand because that is the way we perceive and judge people. Many people know the saying don't judge a book by its cover but not many people use that saying in their life, we may think we don't judge but many of us judge subconsciously. In high school I have seen many people spread rumors and make judgments off of something they heard or the way they saw someone act without knowing the full story. I hope I can start recognizing when I start making these judgments and stop myself.
ReplyDeleteI think you said the magic words: recognizing. That is key. Being able to, in the moment, stop and question ourselves about our judgements.
DeleteWithout context, people tend to develop an idea of an opinion of someone, whether that be good or bad. In the video, there was a stereotype of the person being photographed, just because the photographer believed that they knew their story, without knowing any of the context. In my life, I know that if i hear something about a person, I tend to be quick to judge that person and form an opinion about them. I know that I shouldn't, but sometimes I just can't help it. Many times, however, I have then learned the context of the story and why the person may have done what they did, and that is when I normally form my final opinion on them through that situation. Context is important, because without it, I feel as though many people wouldn't understand why someone is the way they are. Many times, especially since we are in high school, there are rumors that people spread around about others that aren't nice, and often times, aren't true. If we took the time to learn the real story, or to understand the context of something, I believe that opinions of people would be very different.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the message in the video really shows how important context is rather then just a small portion of it. If the full context isn't given a wrong interpretation will be made,just like Nathan said it causes us to make judgement before completely knowing the context behind it. This video made me realize how often we make judgments about someone without knowing their whole "context" we just make them based on what we see or what we are told by others whether wrong or right. I feel that when I don't know someone I do judge them by their looks,and actions, and don't realize how wrong I was about that person based on my judgments, after meeting them and learning more about them and who they are. This video has taught me that this is a bad habit to have and we should always seek for context before making any judgments.
ReplyDeleteThe photography video of Michael really opened my eyes to how quickly we as humans create a perspective on a person really only based on what we see on the surface of that person. In the video the photographers were quick to base Micheal off what “persona” they were given without really knowing him as a person, sure they did try to seek out who he was, but because of the “persona” given they’ve unintentionally already made a judgement of him. Maybe if they knew the deeper context of Michael in these personas for instance, if he was an ex-con because he wrongfully charged guilty or why he believed he had psychic abilities, would that change their perspective in him? Initially, I think that photographers artistic choices when capturing Micheal would be entirely different, creating different perspectives in the photos because of the context now know about him. Through this I learned that because of we as humans, are so keen to making such quick judgment calls on a person we miss who they are, what they’ve been through, what led them to their path, we make a simply judgemental error that costs us the reality of getting to know someone, but when the context of who they are is put into play judgements made earlier changes because now we know who someone is, what they've gone through that set them on their path, but without it we make the judgment calls that shapes our perspective and sets it to that. I believe that that we make these judgement calls so quickly now because of rapidly changing world we live in, in this day and age we choose not to get to know how and why someone is the way they are, and even I am guilty of doing this and I believe that the way the world is now has had heavy influence on that for example, I make a judgement call on the very talkative middle schooler on my bus. However throughout my life I’ve essentially now believe that everyone deserves the benefit of doubt because you don’t know their context, their story, so a judgment shouldn’t be made, but because it’s really human nature to make rash decisions or judgements everyone doesn’t get the chance to receive the benefit of doubt. Essentially context is everything but it is most times overlooked because of human nature developed in the rapid technology-based world we live in now, in turn making it hard to know who someone is — the why to who they are, letting us make the judgmental errors that sets a straight perspective on who they are.
ReplyDeleteYes - we all benefit from each others' grace. While I think you are right, it is our nature, we are also highly intelligent and can learn to question, even ourselves. Great reflection!
DeleteThe video really caught my interest and I enjoyed seeing the new styles and ideas that came from the false contexts. It was something I had not considered before about how context is used in art. Learning that the context introduced to each photographer completely changed the way they went about portraying the man made me do some reflecting. It made me think about the way context influences how people are treated from culture to culture and this lead me to question, to what extent does context shape culture? Like the blog said, we live in a fast paced and "instant" world where so much is demanded and assumed. Lately, I have felt as though the world has lost it's value in humanity and this may be due to a lack of context. Perhaps as a culture we have stopped acknowledging context as important, or maybe we have so many contexts from social media, news stations, and what we hear through the grapevine that we have lost trust. What happens when all legitimacy is gone and context is no longer significant? What happens to the humanity we still have left? Context isn't just a topic we learn in class, it is a factor of our everyday life and this video has made me more aware of it's importance to our fast paced culture.
ReplyDeleteIt is! And one that is being shoved aside because of emotions. People see what they want to see - they don't want their views to be challenged, so often they don't bother seeking context. We must be different and model a new way. :)
DeleteFrom the video, I have found that context and stereotypes can change styles and point of how they should view other people. I also think that knowing a certain context makes people's opinions about people that seem very stereotypical and common, and in this case the man being photographed. For example, in the video the title that the photographer was given the persona of a multimillionaire, so the pose was intended to be very serious because it is kind of a stereotype for people that make a lot of money are serious and intimidating most of the time. Most of the stereotypes are inferred by people are made because they don’t have all of the context that they should have to assume other things about people they may not know. And not only is this action of assuming without the correct context done all the time in photography, but it is very common in school. Lack of context is the cause of a lot of unnecessary drama in high school. This video’s purpose is to shed light on how the lack of context influences people to view others in particular ways. Hopefully the video shows awareness as well as what is being assumed, and try and stop people and their actions without the entire context.
ReplyDeleteI really like the message that this video shows, because we don't typically ask for context we kind of just take things at face value. And the fact that the pictures showed the perceptions the photographers had really helped show that what people thought they knew influenced how they saw the world. That's why it's so important to take a minute before you blame or judge someone and think about the context. Chances are that it will completely change your perception and attitude. This is really important because even if we try not to be biased sometimes we forget that we don't know why a person is acting the way they are. And I believe that if we all took a moment to sit down and actually talk to the person before assuming, we would learn a lot and our opinion would probably change. Especially in situations where you may only get one part of the picture, or are hearing it from someone else.
ReplyDeleteYes! And we might also learn so much!
DeleteFrom the video I learned that with one piece of information, people make assumptions.
ReplyDeleteAssumptions. I learned something from a specific teacher in 7th grade, that pointed out that when you assume you make a ___(outof)u+me. That sticks a lot with me, anytime I think about assuming.
I don't think anyone tries to assume but its a natural instinct. Its primitive. Specifically, I think about my dog and anytime there is another dog/person around her. She barks because she doesn't know who they are, just from one thing (their looks), she barks because she does not know. Her assumption is that this person/thing is notable so I need to bark.
We share a lot of similarities with animals and I think this instinct is similar among all of us. But at this point in our evolution we think that this beneath us and we should not do this. I think we should have an open mind when we meet new people, and there is nothing wrong with forming an assumption at first, but you should not take what you think to be what is true. Once you learn the absolute truth, that is what is the truth but don't go flaunting your feelings around because that is not the truth.
Overall, I thought that the video was a great metaphor for how small bits of information or rumors, even if it’s true or not, can shape a person’s entire character. A photographer said it best when he said that “preconceptions lead to your own ideas and interpretations of a person”. This is entirely true in the context of this experiment and even in real life. The photographers, knowing only one trait or piece of history of the man, developed their photo, the setting, his poses and the lighting in a way that they thought would best represent this single trait. Doing this somewhat dehumanized their subject into a single trait instead of a multi-faceted individual.
ReplyDeleteMy life has taught me a lot about context and the danger of holding preconceived ideas of certain groups of people or of an individual. For instance, I used to have so many preconceived ideas about those who were in the opposite political party from me. If someone even told me that they believed a segment of that political ideology, I could feel frustration build up because I thought that they were misinformed or evil people. As I encountered more people with differing viewpoints from mine, I’ve learned to accept that the context of our lives has made us believe these ideas. I’ve accepted the fact that the polar opposite party is allowed to believe what they want, even if I personally don’t believe it.
A quote that I will walk away with after seeing this video is:
“A photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what is in front of it”.
I am passionate about my views, and find that I still have to fight the natural inclination to put people with opposing political or world views into boxes, and put up my own walls against them. My friend Larry has been an example to me as to what happens when we stop and just listen. While we will still be passionate about our views, we can understand while others are just as passionate about their opposing views. We may even become a model for them in our grace and understanding!
DeleteAfter viewing the video created by Canon, I realized how much we consider our assumptions into our view on an individual. The photographers used their pre conceived ideas of their given trait (recovering alcoholic, fisherman, millionaire, etc) as a way that they chose to act around the actor. Although our societal pressures influence us to change ourselves around these types of people, it shouldn't be a complete reflection. Photographers such as thee are told to go off of one or two attributes about the individual and work from there, but we can not comprehend their own background. So they are required to make assumptions and stick to those ideals throughout their work.
ReplyDeleteAs they were reflecting on what they just accomplished, I think they gained a newfound realism and respect in their art. Photography is another form of art: having an concept and broadcasting it. Them, as artists, have realized that assumptions are apart of their job, but they have to be cautious.
Watching the video and seeing how the results of each photoshoot were different based on the story they were given was really interesting and it made me make a few connections with things I've learned about before. The first connection was to the Ted Talk that we watched in class about the single story and how it can lead to dangerous stereotyping. When we assume without context, we develop our own version of a single story for whatever the assumptions are being made about without anything to really base it off. We make a ton of assumptions in our day to day life, and we should evaluate how accurate or valid those assumptions are before we act upon them. Another connection I made was to what we're learning in ToK right now about ethics and different belief systems, specifically relativism. The way that the context shaped the photographers views and their results is similar to the way that our cultural beliefs shape our ethics. What is considered right in one part of the world can be vastly different from what another part of the world considers right, and these differences in ethics are based seemingly entirely on the different cultures, or contexts that the people grow up into. This really speaks to the power of context, as it can shape your entire worldview without you being aware of it.
ReplyDeleteI shared your response with Mr. Hiatt. SO impressed that you made these connections to ToK! That is our ultimate goal as your teachers-to show you links in areas of study and ways of thinking. Love also how you connected this to "The Single Story." Yes, there seems to be a theme in the blog! It is unintentional, I promise, but it does work out that way! :)
DeleteAfter watching the video, I am quite aware about how much context can affect your actions and thoughts. I thought it was interesting to see how easily someone can be portrayed just by quick judgement, and how often this happens throughout life. With context in mind it is easier to understand why instead of being quick to judge someone for who they are. It also occurred to me that if without context it is easy to judge, it is also easy to judge based on not enough or incorrect context. With this in mind, being quick to judge is never a "smart" choice, you may never know what others may be feeling or going through that may affect their actions.
ReplyDeleteI learned from this blog and this video. Is that we can't truly know who someone is entirely. It's kind of fascinating and scary to know that even the closes of friends, family, and especially strangers we would never truly know who is "them". I believe that the video can easily relate to people we meet. When we first introduce ourselves to someone he haven't met yet, we start profiling due to our minds being curious of "who is this person and how can I relate to another similar person I have met". The way they are built, dressed, and even voice gives off these signals of what their characteristics might be. An easy yet un-sufficient way of trying to understand them.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I know many people and is acquainted with most of my school mates, due to my introvert personality I usually only make quick small talk. It's kind of interesting to see peoples reaction over and over again when you pass by them in the hall. When I say, "How was your day?". They would probably say, "It's been okay." You can kinda tell when someone seems interested in talking to you and when someone isn't. But, I could be completely wrong due to the only few seconds we pass by in a busy high traffic environment.
I am a curious human being that's for sure. I ask questions constantly and randomly too people that wouldn't suspect them at all. It is actually pretty hilarious that they don't mind answering my odd questions, some intrigue, most aren't and carry about their day. Sometimes I would ask, usually another introverted person like me that peaks my interest, questions about who they are and what they experience. This leads me clues on what their characteristics are or what I perceive. This leaves me with Joy when I sometimes guess correctly when the "victim" agrees because it is always a good feeling when you connect the pieces of a puzzle. Although now that I realize it isn't the most accurate way to know a person, it builds up a synopsis of who that person is. Maybe I should leave this? Maybe it is a bad habit? Maybe... but will ever truly know who anyone is? Because who interprets the content? Me. And me is always going to have a bias. At this point, I'm very lost in my head and contradicting statements start to occur.
After reading the blog and watching the video, I realize how much context can affect our perspective or view of someone. All of the photographers had different background stories about this man which affected how the pictures of him were taken. When you are quick to judge, you are assuming you know what that person is going through or what they've experienced in the past. Everyone judges there's not doubt about it, some more than others, but irregardless everyone does it. On a day to day basis when you're out and about meeting strangers, maybe they're having a bad day so they catch an attitude but the next day they might be the sweetest person ever. At the end of the day, it is going to be hard not to judge because we are humans, but we should all slow down and not be so quick to assume.
ReplyDeleteI see that the different people obviously each portrayed the man in relation to his background, each person captured that attribute given to them through the pictures they took. Each person had there own viewpoint and they made the man pose to represent that given viewpoint. I learned how effective and how great of an impact context can have on how people view each other, it impacts how they act around them, how they see them and most importantly how they define them.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right - how we see others also impacts how we act around them. I had not considered that, but that is so true.
DeleteIn the video about portraits, it was very different to see what they would photograph based on the information they had. It showed how society will have just a bit of information and create a whole story for one image. They say an image is worth a 1,000 words, and that’s what the photographer created in their images. A story, a background. Context helps a lot because without it we wouldn’t know how to read life. For example, this isn’t a personal experience but yesterday 10.18.17 we viewed, the Turkish lady experienced two people smoking a cigarette with each other, they were polar opposites, yet they sat and enjoyed one last possible smoke with each other like nothing mattered. Though they had different backgrounds(contexts) it didn’t matter.
ReplyDeleteThe video was unique from many other context videos that I've seen. Within the other videos, usually it consists of many people seeing one person and trying to identify them without any context what so ever. This video showed one man and the personalities that he has "portrayed". The fascinating part about this are the pictures. The way context is used in perspective and how they can be demonstrated through a piece of text and make him seem completely different. A personal experience that was similar to the video at hand would have to be with a friend of mine. At one point in our friendship they had gotten very distant. Quiet and often looking at nothing, lost in thought. I decided to give them space. In the mind set of "A little air won't hurt them to much." Of course throughout this we were still friends. One day I became curious and asked about the distance. They had mentioned that their baby cousin they were very close with had died recently. After this I gave as much love and affection I could because everything seemed a bit clearer. Thank God I asked, if not I would have found out later and have a heavy weight of guilt on my back that I didn't ask previously. Context is extremely important with every story, piece of text, anything. If we didn't have that the world would be very confusing.
ReplyDeleteYes! I think you are right - and this is why the world is so divided and confusing today, in part - we are not stopping to consider context.
DeleteAfter watching the video I realized how effective our quick judgments are on those we are judging and even ourselves. My favorite part of the video was at the end when the words, “A photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what is in front of it” were shown on the screen. It made me realize the amount of power we have on how we look at the people around us. By making quick assumptions or judgments we are endangering ourselves into actually believing the stereotypes and assumptions that we have made without knowing the true story, which is also shown through the story mentioned in the blog. We never know what people are going through or their specific experiences that have shaped them and made them who they are today. The video and the blog actually reminded me of a quote in "To Kill a Mockingbird" where Atticus mentions the inability to understand a person unless we are able to see things from their point of view or climb into their skin and walk around in it. It is important to have context before you judge someone’s character, but it is also important for us to not rely on the limited or only context we receive. This was shown very well throughout the video, and it surprised me how much they really took their limited amount of context into consideration while taking their photos, even to the lines of pushing themselves out of the artistic comfort zone to create an image that “represent” or “shows” his character that they believe he has. The video can also act as a metaphor for the way we as humans quickly judge and the way we assume people’s characters and stories. This can eventually shape our minds and could possibly lead us to dangerous places of assumptions and stereotypes that we should try to avoid through remembering the power of context.
ReplyDeleteYes - very thought provoking reflection. LOVE your link to To Kill a Mockingbird!
DeleteAfter watching that video it made me realize even the simplest of things can have different views based off of past experiences or just how your mind sees it. This just show that we as a community show not enclose our way of looking at thing and tell others there perspective is insignificant because we don't see what they see.
ReplyDeleteWatching this video made me really realize how quick we are as human beings to judge the "context" of someone by being told about them, like in the video. It kind of goes hand and hand with the saying of "don't judge a book by it's cover." In this new age I and we live in, we are very quick to judge and infer the context of someone and I can admit of doing that, but in a lot times the person I thought I knew there context it was the total opposite of what I imagined.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to believe that all of the photographs taken was for the same person that expressed a view and emotion totally different. I am really impressed with this social experiment that not only open the eyes of the photographer but also mine, of what can change with a false context. Even though we've heard the say constantly of “never judging a book by its cover”, we as human being build our thoughts of biases and judgements in seconds. Sadly it is everywhere in our everyday lives. From rumors you heard at work or school to gossip that happens in our very own homes. I honest wish we could take a day to sit and openly talk to each other. Get to know the real reason for their actions before we automatically assume them. I feel if this to happen the world would completely change forever.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video I kinda realized I should keep all judgements to myself. I feel like if I say one little thing about something to someone they might flip out, or they'll be thinking the same thing, and might start going around telling other people. Whenever I judge someone, i'll usually find something to criticize myself for as well, making me just not say anything. I think context is also really really important on the internet, as someone could say something and it be misinterpreted the wrong way. For example the popular youtuber IDubbbzTV is known for using racial and homophobic slurs. Now at first glance you would think "Oh he's homophobic and racist, he's not a nice person at all" but that's totally untrue. He's a great guy he just uses those words in a joking manner, and not to insult gays or blacks. I think if people would just hold back judgements and do some extra research on what they're judging that would help society immensely.
ReplyDeleteThe message in both the blog and video is so powerful, especially in today's society where we usually just get a glimpse of someone's life and make a judgement. We're so fast to judge people, and we tend to do so in ways that make us feel better about ourselves, which usually involves putting others down, even if just in our own minds. I know I've been guilty of doing this before. It is these judgements that divide us from others and create tensions between people, and all because we don't have the context of someone's situation. And a lot of the time, people don't care to find that context. Understanding context means stepping outside of yourself and considering the fact that each individual has experiences, emotions, and thoughts just as you do. How you act and what you say does affect other people, which the video, in a way, brought to light. Maybe if we all tried to look beyond our own issues and walk in the shoes of others, we could have better community and relationships rather than living as individuals. Context is the key.
ReplyDeleteGreat point about our motives in judgement! SO sad and so true!
DeleteBased on what the photographers heard about the man (his job, or what he had done) played a key into how the picture was taken, stylistically. I feel some of them, based off of their own views of what he had done in his past, reflected in their final product of their own art. They judged him by one thing he had done, which affected their work. Everyone judges others, whether they're aware of it or not, either by looking at them for the first time or knowing one detail about them. I know I do that all the time, and I don't necessarily like it, because then I profile them to that one thing that I don't know is true about them. But when we know context about the other person, more than our own form of judgement, it helps us see things clearly and respectively. We shouldn't tear people down because of something we think to be true. But we should seek out the correct context of every situation to understand the real truth.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice at the end for all of us! You are right - many of our complete judgements are based on just ONE detail we have that has formed our judgement. It's sad, really!
DeleteThe video taught me that everyone has a story. You can't always estimate what someone has gone through just by looking at them. Everyone is going to always have a different side to the story. For example, when my Grandpa died, I was greatly affected. In order to cope, I tried to continue on as if nothing had happened. However, I wasn't acting like myself. I wouldn't talk very much and I was very withdrawn. During that time, a friend of mine just thought I was being rude and wanted nothing to do with me. Weeks later when I was telling her about how I had to my Grandpa's funeral that weekend and how I was dreading it, she immediately felt horrible and tried to apologize as best she could. This experience taught me that you can't always see why someone is acting a certain way.
ReplyDeleteOn the video; I have often heard that there are two versions of the truth. Your truth, and the truth... I feel as though this connect with the video very well. They all had the same man, same clothes, same everything, but what they thought they knew about him was all different. As with the photographs, the differences in photographs can be translated into other mediums as well. When you speak to a drunk, you are not as understanding as you are when speaking to a veteran drunk. When you write about the color red, you may see it as vital and vibrant and representing life, while another may see it as violent and dangerous and representing death. And the only difference is the context of either ourselves, or the information.
ReplyDeleteWhat a large number of people forget, is that everyone is living a life just as complex and unique as yours. That person you saw crying in their car; you may instantly think he's having a bad day. But what if he just found out he's a father and is overjoyed? Your life is just your context and filter through which you view everyone and everything else's.
Love what you said about how we are all living lives that are complex and unique. SO true!! No one is entitled to be "above" anyone, but we also need to remember there is so much that goes into who we are and who we appear to be.
DeleteWhen we discuss context in class I find that looking through a "lens" or different perspectives is easier than say, going out to the grocery store and looking at different perspectives. In school I can look at different perspectives because it's a safe space and it's easier to be vulnerable in that way. But out in the world (this is sad to say) it's not that safe of a space. Opening up to different perspectives makes you vulnerable to new experiences good and bad.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement that context is important when making judgments about someone, but I also believe that you have to be honest with the context that you are giving. I've met many people who aren't really being themselves. I believe that I have to really get to know someone before making a judgement because sometimes people put up a front and make themselves into the person they think the world wants to see instead of who they really are.
To reiterate; I think looking into the full context of a person is great, but also remember to give honest context for yourself as well.
Looking at the video I found that it was very interesting the way people interpreted the context. I think it would be just as interesting if we had six different people given the same context just to see how each person interpreted that backstory. Like for instance the story of a recovering alcoholic. Would each person find him to be brave? Or would some think of him as a bad person for being an alcoholic in the first place? We all have different backgrounds and we're all unique in that way so even if we all have the same context given we can interpret it differently based on what "lens" we're looking through.
Overall this was eye-opening, and quite the reflection on my own actions.
Without context, it's human instinct to make assumptions based solely on what is presented to us/what we observe. When we are thrust into a situation and given little to no information about what this situation holds/may lead to, we have no way of accurately predicting what the experience will be like (unless, of course, you're a psychic like Michael). Personally, I know that I (as much as I wish I didn't) make assumptions about people and situations and statements when they're presented to me without context. If I see a tweet or a facebook post or a snapchat that could be deemed as controversial, I'm going to make a judgement before I step back and look at what lead up to this statement, or to this post or opinion. Oftentimes, people assume based on the skin deep information we're given, but we are so much more than that. In high school especially, when most people see someone who doesn't look like them or who looks like they may be different or not fit the image that we want to be molded into, we shun them before giving them a chance to show us who they are. Without the context of who this person is, we think we know them. When there's controversy in school and in the world, we don't wait for all of the information before making snap judgements. Each photographer chose poses and facial expressions that they felt captured the story of Michael that they were told, only to find out that they had captured the story of Michael who didn't exist. The woman who was told that he was an ex-inmate was a lot more reserved than the man who thought he was speaking to a recovering alcoholic; one thought he was a criminal and one thought that he was brave and powerful, and this just goes to show how much context will affect our lives and our experiences within this life.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very insightful reply- really like the way you expressed your thoughts - and how honest they were. You are right - our emotions kind of take over when we see something controversial, and we don't stop to get to the context of it. I feel like society suffers as a result.
DeleteI believe most everyone makes judgments on other people based on their own past experiences. I can admit I have done this very thing. A person has recently come into my life, who I found to be obnoxious, dramatic, and often controlling. What I didn't know was this person had been raised in a terrible environment. They were constantly being abused, mentally and physically. Mentally they were convinced that they were not important enough, which caused them to over react for that attention they were missing growing up. Being left at home at such a young age, having to take care of their even younger siblings for days at a time caused them to be controlling. I had a harsh judgement on the person because I had never thought to put any of it to perspective. I had never been exposed to such conditions, so I was only putting my own experiences with people into context of this one. I didn't like the person's behavior,so I never took the time to get to know more about them. After spending time with them and hearing about their past, I made the connections. My judgement deceived me and gave me a false image of the person. Without knowing a person's own perspective, your own thoughts will cloud their real image.
ReplyDeleteSO true! I am glad you were able to get more context!
DeleteI was fascinated with the way the creators of this video decided to approach the subject. Being a photographer myself I thought it was really creative to show how different a person can appear to be depending on the context you have. One of the first things I learned when taking portraits was that your work should truly reflect the person you are taking photos of. Personally, this manipulates everything about the photos I take, from the background, to the lighting, and even the colors I use when editing, which I feel were all evident in the final results for the photographers in the video as well. In photography I feel this can help sometimes if you are able to capture a person's true essence, but this video goes further and shows how our prejudice of a person truly changes the way we see them and interact with them. Even in the photo sessions, the photographers all acted differently, for example the woman who was told he was an inmate was more closed off than the man who thought he was a fisherman. I think this video shows how easy it is to get caught up in our prejudice of others, especially in today's society where everything happens so rapidly and we are so quick to jump to conclusions.
ReplyDeleteLove that you were able to see this as a photographer! :)
DeleteWhat I learned is most of what we think we know about other people is wrong. We don't ever have the full story, so when we're given even the smallest bit of information about a person, we run with it, and make a variety of assumptions about their life and background. As a result, much of what we think we know about others is wrong. Perhaps we do this because we think that pretending to know something is better than admitting we don't know everything.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very strong message that the video communicates: perspective is key. To the individual, reality seems to shift based on what they perceive. Often times, our perceptions are incomplete, or even completely wrong. We learn that what we experienced as our reality was false. Readjusting that perception can be challenging, and we would do well to be cautious of jumping to conclusions.
I've certainly experienced this enough myself to know that it's a dangerous business, making assumptions. I know what it's like to be humbled by my own ignorance. Having an open mind about being wrong is incredibly important in all situations, but especially when dealing with people. We can't ever know everything, but every new piece of information lends us a little more context, and that makes all the difference.
"Being humbled by my own ignorance." That's a profound statement. I think we all have been in life, and it is powerful if we learn from it!
DeleteThere was a quote I read somewhere that said something along the lines of there being a different version of you in everyone's head, from that cashier you talked with for two minutes at the store, to your very best friend. I think that the video really reinforced that concept - that depending on your interactions with someone (or even what they've been told about you), they will have a different image of you in their head. This video taught me that your interactions with a person don't necessarily shape who you are, but they do shape who you are in their eyes. One instance that this happened to me was with someone who had bullied me in the 8th grade. I absolutely hated him because of the way that he treated me, but then someone brought up that his parents were divorcing, and, though it didn't exactly change my feelings about him, it did let me understand why he was doing this to me. Context is really powerful, and it dictates how you are seen by other people even more than you yourself do in some cases!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that - there are different versions of you in everyone's head. SO true! I am very glad you were given the gift of context in the case of the person who bullied you. I think knowing their context also helps in that we realize deeply that it isn't us - it's on them. The real problem is their own experiences that are shaping them, not us who they are taking out their problems on. It's powerful.
DeleteContext is everything. Watching six different people look at someone in six different ways has taught me a lot: regardless of who a persona actually is, the context that people have about them determines how they are viewed. All of the photographs were extremely different and I found that the one that stood out to me the most was the photograph where Michael was assumed to be a millionaire. Michael looked so powerful in that image, assumingly because the photographer admired him for working so hard and viewed him as strong. What struck me was that there was many other occupations given for different perspectives, and none of those photographs portrayed Michael as a man of preeminence. From this, I can tell that the photographer assume being a self-made millionaire is more admirable than being another occupation, like a psychic. Just by knowing a sliver of context about Michael, the photographers judged him and assumed what kind of person he is; while he could have been a self made millionaire, it was not known by what means he got there or what struggles he has overcome. Michael could easily be a stronger person in any other occupation because of what he has had to overcome: the photographer judged his character off his context. Ex-inmate Michael could be one of the most compassionate people ever, but he was portrayed as tough and intimidating because he used to be in prison.
ReplyDeleteThis experiment actually reminded me of the Ted Talk we watched in class about a single story narrative and how seeing one side of the story can create stereotypes. Ex-inmate Michael was portrayed as tough because that’s the stereotype of those who has been to prison. When it was mentioned that Michael saved someone's life, it was assumed he was a good person because that’s the stereotype of people who haved saved someone’s life. Michael could be a horrible person and just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. These stereotypes aren’t necessarily the photographer's fault; it I was in their position, I would have assumed many of the same things. Whatever context is given creates an image or someone, whether that image is true or not depends on if there is more context not given. Humans will have to work with what they know about someone because people don’t usually know the whole story of someone. However, we can definitely judge people slower in effort to gain more context about them and get the whole version of themselves.
Great insights and connections - thank you so much for sharing this!
DeleteWhile watching the video, I was fascinated with the idea that background knowledge on a person can completely change the way someone appears in a single picture. I love photography and when my friends and I go out and take pictures, I love capturing them in a way that expresses who they really are and the emotions they're feeling in that moment, but I'm realizing now that's all based off of how I see them as a person, not how the rest of the world does. When you see a picture of someone who looks as though they are in a state of utter bliss or happiness, you wouldn't assume that person is going through troubles in their daily life or battling something much larger than themselves, and this can be applied to how people act as well. Your outward image rarely reflects who you are on the inside and you can talk to 100 people all in the same day and depending on your mood while talking to each of them, they could each describe you in completely different ways.
ReplyDeleteReading the blog made me think of a time I ran into a group on their homecoming night in Estrella and they asked me to take a picture of them. Not only did I make up ideas in my head of what the people who talked to me were like in their daily lives, I'm sure they did the same for me. I'm not good in front of crowds, especially under pressure, and when I'm put in these situations I am more reserved and quite. Not only did they see this version of me, I'm sure I saw this version of some of them, but I'll never know because they were just a group of strangers I met on a walk. It really makes me think about how much I know about the active players in my life as well. My friends seem to be open with me, but I am not them. I can try to live in their shoes but in the end I haven't been through the same situations and lived their lives. Even if I did, everyone's brains react differently and I'd never fully be able to understand who they are, so of course I've created the best image of them as possible according to my own information and experiences with them in my head. On top of this, I can look back on my life and think of past friends who even if I don't talk to anymore, I hear things about and sit back in awe. People I thought I knew close to everything about still baffle me when I hear another person's point of view of a story or new information and my image of them changes with every word, but how do you know who to trust? In the end though, no one can truly know another person. People lie, even if it's to protect others, and their actions change based on situations. To say you know someone is conceptual in this sense due to lack of perspective. The version of them they may show you could and will likely be far different from the person they are around a different group of friends, adults, strangers, etc, and because of this it's hard to determine which version is who they are at heart. We as people, I feel, won't truly know who we are without help from others forming this image, but they can't help form that without being introduced to certain sides, or even every side, of you.
WOW! Trinity this is extremely insightful, and beautifully written. You're right- there is SO much that goes into a person. We are really all like diamonds; not only do we have endless facets, but in different light, we "sparkle" differently- people will notice different things about us. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteThis video really opened my eyes to the importance of context but also how we as people react when we are given a lack of context. We all tend to quickly jump to conclusions and sometimes stereotype certain people when we aren't given context and this video showed just that. Even in my own life I see this everywhere, with my friends, with the news on television, with just about everything. We tend to think we can fill in the blanks ourselves and are very quick to jump to doing that. It is important to take time to get all sides of the story and get a full perspective of people and situations and this video further pointed that out
ReplyDeleteFrom the video, I learned that way people perceive you is based on the expectations that they are given. The way that you are described is the way that people will see you; until their context changes. Similarly, different people may have different expectations of who you are based on their context of you. Perhaps, this is why first impressions are so important, in order to give the best context of yourself.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that context is important; however, it is also important for that individual to attempt to portray themselves as they would like to be seen. In essence, your actions determine the context that shapes you. For example, when going on interviews, I choose to dress professionally in order to portray myself well and create my own context for the interviewer to see. I believe that it is just as important not judge others without context, as it is to create a context for yourself that others will see.
I loved this video. My favorite part was where all the photographers were looking at their work side by side. I think this video did a great job at taking the context we learned about in class and showing how it works in the real world. I think everyone has a bias coming into every situation and context plays an important role in that. There is the context of the situation and the context of the people behind it. Everyone that comes into a situation has an agenda, history, and many other pieces that play a part of the context. In my life context has opened by eyes to situations outside of myself. We get so warped up in ourselves and our viewpoint. Context is how we take ourselves out of our self centered lives and instead we start to see the global community that we are apart of.
ReplyDelete"There is the context of the situation, and the context of the people behind it." YES!! Maybe this is truly the essence of why it's SO hard to make a "true" judgement, even when we think we have all the pieces of the situation. We leave out an important variable: ourselves.
DeleteThis video did a wonderful job showing how our preconceptions can completely warp how we view a person. It shows the power of context and how it can completely flip our outlook on the world around us. I would also like to mention that the men seems to be stellar actor so that likely had something to do with it as well. That being besides the point, I can easily see how context affects our perceptions. For one it is very easy to apply this to the way we interact with the homeless everyday. I once asked someone why they don't hang on to their spare change. They simply replied: "I never use gum ball machines anymore and those only need quarters so that leaves no use." I replied by asking why they don't save it to give to a homeless person when they see one. To which they responded: "Well there's a reason why they're there in the first place." It's very easy to assume that a homeless person is where they are simply because they are degenerate beings in capable of making smart decisions. Who knows what their situation truly could be? We blow them off as scum when they could simply be good people who have fallen victim to harsh circumstances. It's a hard thing to have an awareness for a context we may not even know to exist but it is important that we try.
ReplyDeleteSo true. Sad, but true. I have since read that more than half of all people are only one or two paychecks away from being homeless. You just don't know the situations that led them where they are.
DeleteFrom the video, I learned that your preconceptions and assumptions of an individuals strongly influence the way you view and portray them. The photographers in the video portrayed their subject in drastically different ways according to the information provided to them beforehand. This relates to the bigger concept that society, overall, creates different perceptions of certain individuals based on their prior expectations of them.
ReplyDeleteI believe that context is essential to understanding a person; however, I believe that context should not be taken advantage of and used to portray someone in a way that will harm them. In my own life, I have seen this happen, where people base their perceptions of others on only what they heard. In high school, this is a common occurrence, when rumors are spread and people believe certain things, whether they are true or not, based on the context they were given. This leads me to conclude that context is vital, but even more important is what is done with that context, and the effect it has on individuals.
Yes - I have learned now that when I hear something, before I get angry, or emotional about it, research. This can be true in the halls of high school, too. Seek out other sides. Reserve judgement. Most of the time, we will be glad we did!
DeleteContext is everything. It shapes the meaning in communication and conveys thoughts and ideas effectively. Watching this video, it made me realize that different contexts impacts your communication. When all 6 photographers received different context from the same man, it had affected the way they took their picture. The photographer's bias shone through in the picture and showing tier perception on the man's reality. They have also used their own context and their own views and emotions and collaborating it with the man's to receive their own, unique view which is displayed in their photograph. The model and the photographer had worked together in not only a professional way, but something more personal where they can understand each other on a certain level. These photographs were taken based on the photographer and model's mood, emotions, and views changing the whole context of the photograph. This not only happens in this situation, but multiple other scenarios which is important to see that context can be very effective. There is an opportunity to give yourself you're own context and how you want to be portrayed by other people, just like what the man had done. It makes people put on a different lens that you want them to put on. Context should not be taken for granted, and people should take the time to gain more knowledge and context rather than automatic assumptions because of small acts.
ReplyDeleteFrom this video, I never realized how much I and other people judge each other by their looks, and not by their personality. In todays society it's so common to judge other people by the way they look or by the way they do something. Not knowing who they are or what they stood for. I'd say it's a bad habit of mine and others but I like to admit when I judge others, I notice what I'm doing wrong and I try to apologize, mostly to myself. Or I try to say that's mean when other people say it, so they know what they are doing. But it's almost like never judge a book by it's cover. Also, people base others personality of rumors that they hear around school or it could be work even if they weren't true or not. People will start judging you by what they heard. Now a day's it's almost like a natural habit/nature of everybody's. Having this idea of people is based on context and perceptions from other people, they portray a new picture of that person. To see if they would like that person in the first place or not.
ReplyDeleteThe video really shows the importance of applying context to people and different situations that may be presented. Many people, including myself may have judged someone by their appearance or how they looked in a photo without really knowing anything about that person. People do have different perceptions on others, but sometimes there isn't always an opportunity for one to truly understand someone or even have the right to judge them. I have personally noticed that in high school there are several occurrences of people not liking one another just because of something they heard or what they think the other person did or consistently does. But the truth is nobody really knows what actually goes on in each others lives unless you take the time to fully understand someone. I believe that the biggest lesson from this video is that it is very important for everyone to apply context before having negative connotations on someone by their appearance or anything else without taking the time to gain an understanding of them personally.
ReplyDeleteI never realized how much context plays a part in photography. It was interesting seeing the different photographers pictures based off of what they knew about the man. Context in photography is not something I've ever thought about or how much context affects the photos.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a person who commonly talks a lot and I listen more, so I hear a lot of different things people say. Sometimes something someone is saying sounds weird or just normal to me or they use words in a way I'm not used to hearing but the people within the conversation find it funny. I remain confused as to what they mean but those with the context of what is being said understand completely. I see this more with people who are friends making inside jokes or referencing some fun activity they went and did outside of school. I don't understand because I don't have the context of what they are saying whereas those who have that context understand.
I think this video was very interesting and defiantly showed the power of context in a different light. In my experience when people think of context they usually relate it to a real life situation or an events that occurs. They go back and think about different peoples perspective on what had happen during that event but this video showed something different. It showed that context goes deeper than just art, literature or events that happen in everyday life. Context plays a large part in the opinions people form about others and how they treat them. Depending on the different experiences people have with other individual's opinions and relationships drastically change from one person to another. And I think that this is what the video was trying to portray, that depending on the information you know about someone, it controls the way you view them.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really learned from this video is how much we hold on to what we know (or think we know) about a person, and how that guides us in the way we treat them and perceive them. It really showed me how important context is, and how much we use it to "figure out" who people are. What this video really taught me is the importance of getting to know people. This goes along with many life experiences I have had with different people, but I have learned that it is important to get to know someone for yourself. Learning about someone's background from others can be helpful, but it is important to take time to know someone and then make judgement and treat them based on how they interact with you. In my life I have found this is important, as someone can tell you how another person is, but getting to know them yourself is the most honest way to figure out who they are. It may beneficial too to let go of 'labels', and move past them.
ReplyDeleteYes - labels can be SO harmful as they are limiting.
DeleteIn the video I learned that context plays a very big role in the way that someone is perceived. The 6 people’s understanding of his essence was widely shaped by the information they were given. Those were just my observations of the video, but it’s not anything I didn’t know already from what we’ve learned in class.
ReplyDeleteI don’t really have much experience with this situation and how context affects people. The only kind of applicable experience I’ve had was with Gabi Roe who graduated last year. Before I knew her got to be friends with her through cheer, she always appeared mean and intimidating and not someone who was very approachable. But once I got to know her and her context, I could see that she is actually a nice person who is easy to talk to and get along with.
Yes - I think this is a common perception of people who are very private and shy. I actually heard that a lot from people I became friends with in high school: "I thought you were stuck up," or "I assumed you felt like you were in a higher league." Totally could not have been farther from the truth! I was so shy, people scared and intimidated me, so I was unsure how to approach them. Isn't it funny how unaware we can be of the context others are forming about us?
DeleteThis video really brought to light just how much of a depth context has in our actual lives and probably everyday experiences.
ReplyDeleteThose people were given a context to a person, and it completely shaped how they interacted with that person--shown through their photography.
This video demonstrates just how much we are consciously and subconsciously influenced by context.
For me personally, I have learned that often in life we are given context without realizing its bias on us. For example, I have had friends who have gossiped/talked about someone I've never met and didn't know at all. I've been told about their actions, their personality, their stories, and I've eventually realized that when I did meet those people myself I have let the context given to me affect my entire disposition to that person. I realized that my preconceptions about that person were baseless and often wrong.
That's why I believe it is important to always take the context you're given with a grain of salt. It's important and can be useful to know, however it could mean the downfall of a potential relationship, true knowledge, and more down the road of life.
SO true! If only we researched each other first as much as we researched sources for our own academic work! :)
DeleteI feel as though what I learned in the video and from what I took from the blog can be applied to our everyday high school lives. From what I understood context is important as it helps shape a more meaningful and true opinion about someone or something before a false perception is created. This can be applied to high school in the sense that when we are walking through the hallway or even overhearing conversations people are having, we begin forming an opinion about them before even knowing them. It does not help that as teenagers we tend to be incredibly judgmental and even after having context continue to keep our pre conceived notions in mind knowing that they're not true but allowing them to shape our views. Regarding the video itself I found it incredibly powerful how context even effects things like aesthetics!
ReplyDeleteThe video had a very different outcome than I had assumed it was going to be. All of the photographers spoke about taking pictures that showed who he is as a person, but since they all had different contexts, they showed him in a different light each time. I believe that everyone can take something away from this to remember Atticus Finch's advice,he says, " you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb around his skin and walk around in it." I try to keep this in mind in all of my doings, but I know I can be better, context is key, and we need to keep that in mind before we judge anyone for anything.
ReplyDeleteIn this video I learned that context plays a big role in how we perceive people to be. Whether that be a good perception or bad, it is usually not true.Often times it can completely change the way we talk or interact with a specific person. Context can be very helpful but it can also cause negative bias towards that person. For example, if I had no idea who Donald Trump was and my first context of him was hearing it from CNN, I would already not like him even though I had never even heard of him up until that point. It is very important to create your own perspective and context before coming to conclusions.
ReplyDeleteContext is often something we disregard or see as unimportant because our views and interpretations of things sometimes seem to matter more than what is actually the truth. Context is a very important thing that needs to be acknowledged more because it plays a huge role in how we perceive people and how we go about our day to day lives. Regardless of our initial perception of a person or situation, whether it be better than the truth or worse than truth, the right context is always important to be aware of so we get the full story and know how to move forward in that situation. I, myself, often don't take context into consideration because I let my best interests and opinions get the best of me in that situation, and choose to believe and think what makes the most sense to me, whether it be good or bad. I realize I have a fault here, and should genuinely consider the context of situations and other people's lives to better my interactions with them and my reactions to things that they do.
ReplyDeleteLove this: Context is often something we disregard or see as unimportant because our views and interpretations of things sometimes seem to matter more than what is actually the truth. SO true. That really made me stop and think!
ReplyDeleteThe video relays the importance of context on people's perception. The simulation in the video contains 6 photographers, all of which are tasked with shooting portraits of a man; this man's identity is altered with each photographer he meets.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how his status, and the context in which the model had been portrayed significantly dictated the images that had been showcased at the end of the video. At the end, one of the photographers commented, "Before I knew, there were different characters, I thought: "This is strange; these don’t look like portraits of the character that you were!" This comment captured the essence of why context is so crucial in impacting perception. Context, by definition, sums up the "set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event" (dictionary.com). These factors which influence perception include bias and experience, both of which contribute to context.
In this case, these photographers used the information given, their model's occupation, as a tool to shape the way in which they showcased his character. As a photographer, ensuring a client's personality shines through in an image is important. Without knowing his occupation or if all of the photographers knew of his true occupation, the images would be similar across the board because they are all are given the same interpretation of the man.
I very much enjoy how the context of the man's background impacted the way these 6 photographers photographed him. Without that information their pictures would not tell a story. Whether the story was fake or not, their pictures very much portrayed that fake background that the man created. That is why in the end when they all are analyzing their photos, it looks like the man has a different personality and character.
ReplyDeleteI learned that context does in fact play a role in how we perceive things to be. As in this example the photographs of the man. We as human beings can judge someone so quickly without having any prior knowledge of the story that shaped them the way they are now. The context behind that person can completely change our perspective and focus to something different than the one that was before.
I believe what I got out of this video is that my perspective is drastically changed by rumors or other people. I get a majority of info from my closest friends. Anyone outside of that is a mystery to me. Based off of this I see that the way to know someone is to get it directly from them and not others. If I listen solely to what my friends say, no matter how trustworthy, I do not get the whole story. So, I should put myself out there more because I could find someone necessary in the development of my life that I would have never come in contact with because of my preconceived ideas of their character.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video I have come to realize that no matter what the situation is, its what one makes it to be. If you are going through a hard time in life and continue to think negatively about it its going to make it harder to recover from it. Although if you think positive about a negative situation it will make it easier to recover from the situation. My point is however one looks at something or whatever ones perspective is on a situation is worth more than what it is told or percieved to be. Another thing that impacts how we view people or even act towards people is what we know about them and their character. In the video the director tells everyone different traits about the man which impacted how they viewed not only him but the photographs that were taken. Therefore, the knowledge we have on a situation or person affects many things including the context of it. This relates to me as a teenager because many people make up lies about others which effects the way others view them as a person.
ReplyDeleteThe video shows us that perception is a result of context. If there is no context, we must discover our own perception as we move forward. A sick individual may look healthier than they are and with out the knowledge of who they are personally you may assume they might be faking it. It is necessary for me to give context when I am having conversations at night for I am often tired and distracted. This leaves the sentences I write to be incoherent. I often need context when I am meeting someone new or learning about someone else's actions as, while I rarely get the whole story, half of the truth is as bad as a full on lie.
ReplyDeleteContext is definitely something that I do my best to see before I make any judgements in life. Just as this video shows in pictures, and the blog showed with words, I have had many experiences that were completely changed by the actual context of the events being revealed to me at a later time. Stopping and taking the world as it is, as well as making sure to understand the situation before making any judgements is a very simple, yet impactful way to understand the actual reasoning for events, rather than a one sided assumption made by someone who had not taken the time to discover more.
ReplyDeleteI think the purpose behind the video was not only to exemplify the importance of context as it relates to those judging others but also the effect it has on how we perceive them. It also showed the ways in which artists make choices to show the small peice of, in this case, a person that they are given access to and how that representation changes based on what they know. As far as context relating to my life I can think of many situations where things I or other people have said can come across and be interpreted completely different for the intention specifically text messages alone can be taken without context, tone, or connotation and change the entire meaning.
ReplyDeleteIts almost in our human nature to judge based on looks , its pretty cool that even in odyssey we do this but try our best not to , by having our core values and uniforms we almost have to look deeper and get to know people. The video really emphasized the impact of judging.
ReplyDeleteWith this video, it shows that context is a very important thing to have whenever it comes to judgement about others and what you don't know about them. It's common that others create assumptions about others that they don't know or even with small amounts of information, it can drastically change the perspective and view that people have towards a particular person. I think that this shows us that perspective and context is needed not only when making assumptions or having a certain view point of a person, but whenever you do put it into perspective and you get more context, it widens your view of that person. It teaches that sometimes making assumptions out of the blue isn't always the right thing to do. I've certainly been guilty of judging people before learning the context, but it's something that I'm capable of changing overtime, to not judge others, or per-say, judge a book by its cover.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the video worked to show the fact that a photographer’s (and by extension, any person’s) bias shines through in their pictures (or any content produced in the case of people in general). Pictures taken by photographers serve as a glimpse into their own view of the world, allowing for the viewer to see their perception of reality and in what ways they interpret things without the context to go alongside them. With the photographer introduced Michael with the information that he was a self-made millionaire, he upright says that Michael seems intimidating for that fact. Further on in the video Michael, in his recovering alcoholic persona, is referred to as brave by the photographer. These aren’t based off of any solid information that either photographer knows about him. Instead, it is their attempts to fill in where what little context they have does not with previous knowledge and stereotypes of these different personas that Michael plays.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I’ve not been on the receiving end of judgements based off of a lack of context. I’ve indeed made my own judgements because I didn’t know everything. Not to say that making judgements is inherently wrong; Our brain is wired to make judgements off of what we know and in certain cases in which there isn’t any opportunity to learn the context of something the best we can do with is a judgement.
Throughout the video it was interesting to see how different people make their perspectives of a person, either it be from what little information is given or from what other people give as their view. For instance, someone can give their opinion of a person and this will skew another persons view. Or like in the video, someone can tell someone what the person is like and the person being told will believe it because they have no other view of the person. I've even seen this in my life where someone will try and convince me that a person is something but in my own experience the person isn't what i was told, so I made my own opinion after that. Also lately I've tried to stop or hold back certain assumptions or other peoples opinions, at least to a point because I know someone can't just stop assuming and judging.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how the video showed how much someone can create their opinion about someone so easily. I think that this proved how important context is in every situation. I also liked how with each photographer you were able to see each of their own opinion or bias show through their pictures. I believe that everyone should watch this video because it proves that not everyone is who we believe them to be, despite what people tell us. Being in high school I feel like we run into this all of the time. If you don't know someone odds are another person does and when you ask them, they may say something very negative. Sometimes, this negativity is unnecessary and they are just upset with that person, but you don't know what to believe.
ReplyDeleteFrom watching the video I found it interesting when they talked about how quickly somebody can make an opinion about somebody else based on very little information. I can admit that I have done this more than once in my life as I have often times looked at a person and judged then solely on what I saw. But context is one of those things that you have to have because without it, somebody who just had a bad day can turn into somebody who you view as mean and never talk to again. I feel as if our perceptions and need to understand things the second we see them can inhibit the potential to make new friends.
ReplyDeleteThis video was a representation for how context truly is the key on the human perception of not just people but things as well. It was very interesting to see how one man was viewed/portrayed through 6 different "lenses" that the photographer placed on him. That is to say the context of the situation truly determined how the man was to be viewed by the rest of the world; all because one individual decided to present him under a certain image. This real life scenario is a perfect example of what it is like to be judged by others from the very minimal information they get. In relation to this, I as an individuals have felt that it is necessary to know the whole story before I judge someone simply because what i may or may not have may not be sufficient/justly representing a persons true character. Just like there are people who will like you, some will not because their viewpoint on you differs from what they know. In conclusion, it is evident these photographers put to use the information they were given to create and image of a person which may not necessarily reflect the true character of the individual.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video, I felt more aware of how everyone is easily judged based on another person's preconceptions. I myself am guilty of doing this, and part of the reason is out of habit. It seems like everyone's always judging someone else, and talking about it with their friends and family. This has become such a norm in society, taking someone else's word as a fact, and never really giving that person a chance because of it. I don't believe it's healthy for a society to do this because it causes a lot of unnecessary hurt and problems. Often times our assumptions lead to gossip that can leave friendships ruined or hearts damaged. I think that this kind of behavior comes down to the character of a person, and whether or not they want to partake in negative thoughts and gossip.
ReplyDeleteThis video was very powerful and I thought that it is a very good eye opener. This video piggy backs the single story, the photographers believed the story that they were told and they were, as they said, trying to capture the aspects that they believed were true as they were told. Context really is everything, any situation is dependent on context. My dad has a really great analogy which states that your beliefs are built on emotions. For instance, if you were walking along side a friend and they shoved you and you fell and hurt your knee, you may get up and yell or be angry and shout "why would you do that?!" You would believe that they were being mean or you would believe that you are mad at them for the situation. However, once you find out that they were moving you out of the way as a piano fell right where you were, and you learn the context behind this act your beliefs change as your emotions change. Now, you may feel grateful and maybe even guilty for snapping. The belief that you hold now is that your friend was looking out for you and they care for you. Both of these beliefs were correct to you but they changed after context was shared. I believe that I would appreciate for someone to ask the context of my actions before they form a belief about me or tie an emotion to me.
ReplyDeleteThis video taught me that people judge by what they are told about someone, rather than their experiences with them. Without the context behind a situation, people can believe different things, which can be completely false.
ReplyDelete