A recent visit to the Alhambra in Granada reminded me just how much context shapes capability.
Standing amid the intricate palaces and cooling courtyards of this 13th-15th century masterpiece, I was struck by the sheer ingenuity of the Muslim engineers of that era. In a harsh, dry climate, they designed and built a system that harvested mountain water using gravity-fed qanats and fallage channels. They used it not only for irrigation and bathing but also for temperature regulation. Their homes were heated in winter using Turkish bath systems and cooled in summer with natural ventilation – effectively early versions of HVAC.
This wasn’t just clever design. It was contextual intelligence at its finest – working with nature, not against it. Understanding the environment, and designing accordingly.
And it reminded me of something I’ve known for decades in another context entirely: the Spanish are exceptional civil engineers.
When I started in mining and energy back in 1983, the unspoken wisdom was: if you wanted something dug – especially a tunnel – call the Spanish. And it’s no coincidence that today, companies like Acciona (a global leader in infrastructure and renewable energy) are leading the charge in sustainable engineering.
What’s going on here? I think it’s the deep lineage of practice – a kind of national muscle memory – stretching back over centuries. It’s not just knowledge or skill; it’s how a culture comes to understand itself through its strengths, its context, and its disposition.
And that led me to reflect on a similar idea I’ve long held in sport. I call it family disposition. If you study elite athletes, you’ll often find three recurring patterns:
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- It runs in the family – sport is part of the household DNA.
- They started young – often in early childhood, even before memory.
- They enjoy it – it’s not a chore; it’s how the family lives and connects.
It’s not a formal theory, but the pattern is hard to miss. Success is not just about talent or effort – it’s about context.
Which brings me to AI.
Every interaction you have with an AI tool – ChatGPT included – is shaped by the context you bring. The quality of the prompt, the background you provide, and the iterative back-and-forth are all critical. Like irrigation in the Alhambra, or sport in a high-performing family, the AI response flows where you channel it. It’s not just about capability – it’s about how the environment shapes the output.
In the end, context isn’t a backdrop – it’s the medium. Whether you’re building an empire, raising a child, or prompting an algorithm, it’s the hidden force that defines the result.
