We assume we know what people want, think, and need but we don't, we never do. One thing I have learned while being in college is that you should always ask and never assume anything.
We cannot read minds and we don’t know everything. Therefore, we have no idea what goes on in people’s lives nor do we know exactly what people want half the time. It’s unfair and discriminatory to assume that a person who is a certain way likes certain activities. Along with assumptions come judgments. We assume and criticize what is different and unfamiliar to us because when something is not “our normal” we think it’s weird or strange.
I have learned the dangers of assuming and dealt with my fair share of having other people assume things about me. I'll be the first to say that I’m not perfect, in fact, I am far from it. I know this because of the number of lessons I learn from my mistakes on a daily basis.
Personally, I do not drink; my friends and others who I am close with know this about me as well as the circumstance behind it. Often times, it is assumed that I do not want to participate in certain activities or go to certain places where drinking is involved. When in fact, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. I have discovered that when we make assumptions we unknowingly disregard people’s feelings and opinions. We think with our ego and not our brains.
Think about it like this, a doctor would never assume that a patient who is experiencing fatigue has cancer and then proceed to treat them for it. They would run a series of tests and examinations to diagnose the problem. We should really apply the severity of this analogy to every aspect of our life. It is unjust to assume that someone likes certain activities based off of their ethnicity, so don’t assume more simplistic things either.
With first impressions, a lot of assumptions are made as well. Based off the way someone looks we might assume the kind of car they drive, or where they live. If someone has expensive clothes on we may assume they have wealth and if someone has ragged clothes on we might think they come from poverty. Why are we so acquisitive? We favor those who have the things we like and envy those who have the things we want. Why do we do this?
The next time you catch yourself making presumptions, remind yourself that you don't have mind reading abilities.
