A context in which time is a commodity – as happened during and post industrialisation – efficiency and productivity are goals in themselves and activities that don’t adhere are seen as undesirable and problematic. Thus we get labels such as procrastination, lack of commitment, instability, flakiness or simply laziness.
A context in which, for whatever cultural reasons, men are dissuaded from expressing the full range of human emotions, will naturally lead to limited expressions. For some, the range is so limited that it only includes anger and/or depression.
A context in which being outgoing, sociable and engaging are the desired behaviours, introspection, slow-paced lifestyle, social withdrawal and shyness can easily be seen as needing cure.
When we focus on feelings, struggles, concerns and worries in isolation without considering the context in which they emerge and experienced, we risk turning many human experiences into illnesses. Similarly, when we look into bringing about change without considering against what background this change will take place, we risk creating more pain than healing.
We, humans, navigate a complex terrain which is partly uncertain and partly pre-determined. Our social and cultural context is complex enough that mastering social interactions is something only a few of us can do well. We try and err and sometimes get it right but mostly flounder and fumble and get hurt along the way.
There may not be a fix to our problems and we may not be able to get our environment to meet all our needs, but we may be able to negotiate and transition through our values, education, beliefs, friendships, crises and significant relationships because sustainable change can only be supported by these contextual factors.
I believe that we can only truly understand our experiences if we can understand the background against which they rise. We must see our courage, effort and how we overcome hardships in the complex context in which we all live.