Written by MaryCaitlin Tanksley
We all assume. We all at one point or another believe we hold the answers to everyday life. We assume we truly know people before we do. We assume we know each other’s thoughts and feelings without asking. We often assume we know how others perceive us. The whole concept of assumption and how it affects our thought process, social life and actions hit me.
To “assume” means “to provide an answer or a conclusion without any proof.” We often seek to answer questions before we find any evidence. Instead of merely asking for the answer or patiently waiting, we produce the facts ourselves without any concrete knowledge. Whether we assume a car will stop while we cross the street or that we will be able to pay next month’s rent, we strive to always be in the know and in control of answering our ponderings.
Making assumptions does not inhabit one form. Making assumptions about others and who they are is simply another form of judgment, stereotyping and perception. Every day on campus, we see people we do not know and make assumptions about who they are based on attire, facial expressions or body language. We make assumptions about people we know through others and what they must be like in person.
Have you ever made an assumption about what someone is like due to their social crowd or whom they are dating? Have you ever assumed someone was a certain way based on where they were from? We all do whether we intend to or not; it is a subconscious habit. Unfortunately, judgment is the only thing being accomplished through this type of assumption.
In our relationships with family, friends and co-workers, a lot of assumption occurs. Too often, assumption takes the place of true communication. We speculate our family knows us best. We speculate our friends know our likes and dislikes and that our co-workers know that we hate slacking on the job. In these cases, if a lot of speculation takes place and but communication does not, problems are likely to occur.
We cannot merely expect others to know our thoughts, wants and needs. In order to avoid tension, arguments or misunderstandings, speak your mind; ask questions, and less drama will take place.
Life causes us to assume on a daily basis. For some of us, we tend to assume the worst. We assume we are not going to be successful or experience many of the same joys others have. We assume we will never find true happiness, and sadly, we let this kind of assumption consume us.
However, others assume nothing can go wrong. Many of us assume we are in control of how our day goes. We assume everything will go according to plan and nothing can bring us down. What happens when our assumptions fail us? What happens when we are wrong about every prediction we made? After all, assumptions are solely based on our own conclusions.
As a society, but more importantly, as Christians, we should find peace in what we do know. We should find comfort in the knowledge we do have and leave the rest for God to answer. God knows our hearts, our minds and our every intention. What does assumption truly grant us other than fabricated answers? In reality, we do not gain much from assumption but in the patience God calls us to have.
We assume every day. I assume every day. I have assumed so many times that I knew what would happen day by day. I assumed I knew who people were before truly knowing them. I was positively surprised when my assumptions were incorrect.
People have assumed what I am like before truly knowing me and have admitted their negative assumptions were false. I have assumed the worst would occur on many occasions, only to find myself happier than ever. If we can gain anything from this topic, I hope it is future peace of mind in our daily lives and the acceptance of people around us.
