Assumptions

CATEGORY: SOCIAL

Why:

The more aware we are of our assumptions, the more accurately we see the world.

Warm-Up:

What is one wrong assumption people have made about you, or that you have made about others?

Exploration:

Assumptions are when our brain fills in the blank with a guess. It might be about how friendly someone is, why someone acted the way they did, or what will happen if we do a certain thing. We can't help but make assumptions, because we don't have complete knowledge of things. But assumptions can create big problems if we aren't aware we're making them. We might be biased against people unfairly, ignore opportunities, or miss the chance to make a friend because we think we won't like someone. Can you find other assumptions you might be making—guesses about how people are that are not necessarily true?

Additional Resources

For an extension, consider not only the assumptions you make about others, but what assumptions people make of you. Do you ever get the sense that because of your gender, your looks, your age, your race, or any other characteristic, people assume certain things about you? What are those?

Sometimes we absorb those assumptions and forget that they aren't necessarily true. Think about any time in which you tell yourself "I'm not supposed to" based on one of those personal characteristics. This might be a hint that others' assumptions have gotten into your head, and you're believing them whether or not they are really true.