Content isn’t king. This is.
MAY 27, 2024
Content is information, ideas or materials shared. Context is the circumstantial, conditional and cultural framework that influences how that content is understood. The real worth is found not in the content itself, but in the context that shapes our understanding of it. Content isn’t king. Context is.
Always consider the context.
What if the answers we're seeking to grow our business, improve relationships and raise performance were within our grasp?
What if they orbited around us every day, waiting for us to grab onto them? The content is there, but it’s waiting for a seemingly magical ingredient: context.
Take this cliche: "What got you here won’t get you there."
I’ve heard, seen, written and shared this content myself countless times. It’s always struck me as true. But recently, my friend Moe mentioned it in a different context. We were talking about human growth, shifting the focus from what we’ve done to get here won’t get us there. To who we’ve been to get here won’t get us there… Suddenly, "what got us here won’t get us there" took on a powerful new meaning.
This shift in understanding turned a familiar phrase into a profound insight. It wasn't the content that changed—it was the context.
If content is the message, context is driving the depth, value, quality and meaning. Many of you know I recently lost a very dear friend and mentor. Saying goodbye at the end of a workshop was a routine sign-off. But saying goodbye at the end of his life carried profound weight.
The same word, vastly different context.
Content is not king.
We’re swimming in a sea of incredible wisdom, depth and meaning every single day. It's in conversations, memes, and even graffiti on your daily commute. We’re surrounded by content, but the true value lies in the context through which we share it and the context through which we interpret it.
There’s always more content to consume, learn and share… but more content isn’t the answer to growth. The key is how we understand, take in and apply it.
Content might introduce ideas, but context is what makes them stick.
Context is king.
Key Idea
True value lies not in content itself, but in the context through which we interpret it. Content is information, ideas or materials shared. Context is the circumstantial, conditional and cultural framework that influences how that content is understood. The real worth is found not in the content itself, but in the context that shapes our understanding of it. Content isn’t king. Context is.
Takeaway
Always consider the context.
Build your Movement
What’s a phrase or saying that you use a lot?
If you shift the context can you understand it in deeper, different or more profound ways?
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