Why did Martin Buber believe adults could become open to education during a crisis?

Martin Buber believed that adults could become open to education during a crisis because such moments threaten their "spurious security," thereby creating a psychological opening for growth and renewed learning.1

Throughout his career, particularly during his work in adult education in Nazi Germany, Buber observed that individuals often rely on established, rigid patterns of thought and behavior. When a crisis disrupts these patterns and undermines the false sense of safety they provide, individuals are more likely to move beyond their existing prejudices and become receptive to new, meaningful encounters. This perspective was central to his broader philosophy of dialogue, which emphasized that true human realization occurs through the "encounter"—a mutual, responsive relationship between individuals that requires an openness to the "Thou" rather than treating others as mere objects or tools.1234