If you had never known the family into which you were born, much of your life would not make sense today. Consequently, if you didn’t have a key to the house, you could not get inside to get a true feel for it’s character. At the root of both situations is context. And contextual analysis is in my opinion the most overlooked skill in the human toolbox.

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of crap in this world that is baffling, confusing and just down right mystifying. Every third person is an expert of some sort, and everyone else you know is constantly giving you opinions and advice, reviews and critiques, denouncements and praise of something. At times it feels like the only way to understand something is by listening to what someone else has to say.

When it comes to “real world” examples, we all do it. Older folks trust what the younger generations have to say about technology (how many are solicited for advice on buying a computer?). We all trust doctors for their advice and helping us understand our own bodies. We take in the wisdom and words of others because we find ourselves too uninformed (and too busy) to make a good decision on our own. But what is lost here is the process of intimate understanding. True understanding. You could equate it to the differences between “learning” a chapter or lesson and simply memorizing it. To learn it is to never forget it. To understand it, you must learn it. And context is the key to the entire process.

My point in this is that in the world of art and music (and to a much greater degree, human interaction), contextual understanding is almost totally lost on the average person. People walk through museums not sure what they’re looking at and passively critiquing works on a surface level. There is no blame here, though the same can be said about the modern music listener. With no formal training, study or substantial background, all the average listener has to go on is “what sounds good to them.” Again, no blame can be rendered.

But what is utterly tragic to me is the appreciation aspect. We live in a society that pushes consumption, but without the time to devote to appreciating what you consume. Appreciation of art, music, wine, etc are lost in aging generations and relegated to those classes with either time or money to squander. I shouldn’t be this way. What we’re doing by not learning how to appreciate is that teaching future generations to consume even more mindlessly and with a colder heart.

At the center of appreciation, in my estimation, is contextual understanding. You’ll never understand the raw chaotic emotion of Picasso’s Guernica until you learn that Pablo was in the middle of a city ripped to shreds by war and bombs. One will never fully appreciate Pearl Jam’s album Ten until you’ve listened to it gazing into the ocean and feeling the seaside breeze (as much of the album was written post-surfing). Hip hop will continue to be misunderstood by the average suburbanite until a contextual study is complete, knowing the historical relevance (crack epidemic of the early 80s) and the birth pangs of this social revolution (break dancing, graffiti, MCing, DJing).

It is a lot to ask the common person to dive deeply into study before they can appreciate art or music. Most people are not fully interested enough (until they’re dragged to a museum), and frankly don’t see the value of the pursuit. But as someone who lives and breathes both, I know that by learning to understand the context in which these creative pieces were conceived, I’ve come to learn so much more about my own life, my own perspective and how to separate the two. And more importantly, I’ve come to love and respect so much more in this world because of it. It breaks down stereotypes, misconceptions and preconceived notions and gives way to admiration and courtesy.

So the next time you find yourself ready to dismiss a person, an album, a Mark Rothko painting, do yourself a favor and take 10 minutes to research it and dive deeper than the surface. You never know, you may end up unlocking some door to a house full of things you’ll grow to love. And all you had to do is have the right key.