"I don't know about you but, in my experience, assumptions and the wrong interpretations have held me back from the facts."

RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A WRITER

ASSUMPTIONS

I was observing one of my daughter's favorite television shows, where the characters get in a deeper and deeper hole and inflict misery upon themselves because they're constantly assuming what the main character is up to. 

There's this consistent scenario in the plot where the characters' interpretations of the story are always off base. Sounds familiar? 

I don't know about you but, in my experience, assumptions and the wrong interpretations have held me back from the facts. I've learned to never assume I know what's going on with someone based on: someone else's assumptions about what's going on with that person. Because, apparently, they don't know either, they're just assuming too. People who are forming an opinion based on gossip, jealousy, insecurity, and immaturity—due to their emotions—are not reliable either. Nor is the opinion of people who don't have their own lives in order.

Often, we observe in people the good in us, or the bad. Or, we confuse our intuition with our ego. And when our reaction is based on the latter, it makes a situation a lot worse for us. If something doesn't sit right with us, we should ask for clarification. Instead, we make an assumption of someone's behavior, or the meaning of their words, based on our own emotions and limited knowledge of the situation. When we find ourselves conflicted, how much effort would it take to have the courage to ask for clarification?

We are only as good as we know. Remember that.

―LRAEBROWN