There is a phrase that I live by: “never assume — you’ll make an ass out of U and me..” This is a hard-learned lesson for myself and many others I’m sure.

Inevitably, every time I assume something, I am usually dead wrong. Sometimes I find myself saying “well, I assume that…” followed by my narrowed view of something or someone. Below are my reasons we should never assume.
- Assumptions are based on our narrow view of the world or situation or person.
- Assumptions aren’t based on fact. See #1.
- Assumptions allow us to stay steeped in bias.
- Assumptions are usually wrong. Really. How many times have you assumed something about someone and realized you were completely wrong.
- Assumptions can be hurtful. For example, assuming someone is late because they don’t care, in reality may have been that they just found out a loved one was sick or even just that they’re having a bad day.
- Assumptions have an impact. For example, if you’re telling a co-worker “well, {insert person name here} isn’t doing their work because they are lazy.” Now, you’ve probably changed the perception of the same person in other person’s eyes. You’ve just impacted that other worker’s reputation.
- Assumptions often hurt you. When you convince yourself on something that isn’t based on fact, you generally end up hurting yourself, especially when you are assuming something about a friend or family member.
- Assumptions are based on your values. When you assume something, you likely are unconsciously assigning your values onto the situation or person.
- Assumptions are based on your motivations. When we are motivated to get something done or arrive somewhere early, our judgment can get clouded by our motivations.
- Finally, assumptions are just dangerous for all the reasons I listed above. When in doubt, ask. You may not always get an answer you want or even an answer at all, but hold some space for grace.
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