Taken out of context

What's it like to be taken out of context?
We may think to ourselves "Gee, I must not be here - I might as well act like I'm invisible". We might wonder "maybe this is not really intended for me to hear?". We may realize "this is being said for the benefit of that ego-tripping mouth, but not for my eyes and ears". We can even get cynical and decide "this will never apply to my situation or be useful to me in this lifetime".

What's it like to be addressed in context?
We may think to ourselves "this person gets me and where I'm coming from, I'll get understand if I explore my confusion with her/him". We might wonder "maybe this expertise understands me better than I understand myself and can help me use my abilities more effectively". We may realize "this is being said for my benefit and deserves my full attention". We may even get inspired and decide "this calls for some reflective practice to tie this into what I already understand and into my situations where it appears useful to apply it".

What's the awful context that emerges when we are being taken out of context?
There are many ways to characterize the context where learning is very unlikely. It's a compliance context where submission to authorities is expected and rewarded. It's a survival context where it makes sense to minimize exposure to the dangers, threats and enemies present. It's a lose/lose context where there is no way to win and everyone appears to be acting like a loser. It's an adversarial context where people are acting like they have nothing in common and are standing to lose ground if the other succeeds. It's a power struggle where each is using their power to control the other, rather than to advance common objectives or shared interests.

Where does that awful context come from?
It can come from the "products of schooling" who expect to be indoctrinated, dominated and judged unfairly. It can come from the offspring of dysfunctional families which cannot handle the hidden talents, diverse outlooks and range of emotional responses of the family members. It can come from the "factory system" that delivers the content without concern for the diverse customers. The awful context can be produced by learning in the immediate situation that it's not possible to get understood, respected or shown adequate consideration.