"ASSUMPTIONS"

1.     Does this man look scary?

2.     Did you make that assumption because he’s muscular, has tattoos or small?

3.     Would you avoid making this man angry? 

I’m going to tell you a story related to two men.

'It was just a normal day, a day like any other, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route.

No problems for the first few stops – a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well. 

At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on, six foot eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, “Big John doesn’t pay!” and sat down at the back. 

Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek? 

Well, he was.

Naturally, he didn’t argue with Big John, but he wasn’t happy about it. The next day the same thing happened, Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the next. 

This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of him. Finally, he could stand it no longer and so he signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff. 

By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what’s more, he felt really good about himself. 

So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said, 

“Big John doesn’t pay!” The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, 

and screamed, “And why not?” 

With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, “Big John has a bus pass.” 

MORAL / LESSON: 

The moral of this story is quite self-evident. it is a lesson that many of us seem to overlook and disregard in the many activities and chores of our life. 

We learn from this incident that a person should not be hasty in making assumptions and judging a situation or an individual from what seems to be apparent. 

“Because we are afraid to ask for clarification, we make assumptions; then we defend our assumptions and try to make someone else wrong.

It’s lazy behavior. Instead of asking questions to get the information you need, we jump to conclusions.

I came across this quote recently that conveys my message

“Do not make assumptions unless you know the whole story, if in doubt ask the person directly”

Don’t hesitate to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings that later turns into sadness. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”

Some time back, I came to know about an exercise which is, to be as clear as possible in your communication with family, friends, and in professional life.

The exercise is, to stop assuming for 1 week, after one week you will start seeing a magical change in your life.

The famous author, Stephen R. Covey in his celebrated book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,’ advises, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood,”

I am sure we can all learn from this.

Trust me, life is full of opportunities, and making assumptions allow the best in life to pass you by. 

I may conclude by saying:

“ not to make assumptions unless you know the whole story if in doubt ask the person directly”