ASSUMPTION: SOMETHING TAKEN FOR GRANTED OR ACCEPTED AS TRUE WITHOUT PROOF; A SUPPOSITION.
Have you ever had someone make an assumption or judgment about you or the way you feel that is simply untrue? You should be nodding your head. All of us have. And where has that assumption led to? I’m going to take a wild guess and say no place good.
I have strangers make assumptions and judgments about me every day. We all do. People think that because I am short and in a wheelchair that I am either a) a baby or b) mentally disabled. Obviously I am neither. Because I have had this happen to me so many times due to my physical nature, I try not to do it to others on any level that I pass in public. I’m not saying I’ve never done it (because contrary to popular belief I’m not perfect (LOL) ), but I try hard not to. I know first hand how offensive and annoying it can be.
As aggravating as strangers making judgments about someone they’ve never even met can be, it is even more frustrating when people you know do it. It’s very irritating when people who know you think they know every little thing about you and how you will react in any given situation. It really frustrates me when people get mad at you because of an assumption they made about you, your opinions, or your feelings without actually talking to you first. For example, I have recently had someone I know well get very angry with me because they assumed my political views favor Trump. (Let me just say now, I hate politics, period. I think they are just another reason to argue, but that’s beside this point.) Now, whether I favor Trump or not, which I absolutely will not say here, it is extremely frustrating that someone would basically do the equivalent of yelling at me via email under the assumption that I was 100% voting for him without any backing behind their beliefs.
I think this same idea can be applied to any judgment we make against someone without knowing the facts first. Are you blonde? If so, should I just assume you are a ditz? Are you from Alabama? Should I then assume you are a very religious Baptist that goes to church multiple times per week? Are you of Latin or Eastern European descent? Should I then assume you cannot speak English and that you have no education? Do you work at Chick-Fil-A? Are you then anti-gay rights? Do you have a lot of tattoos? Does that mean you are some crazy person on drugs and in a gang? I know people who fit all of these descriptions and defy each and every one of the stereotypes made against them by society.
I write my blogs about things that go on in my life that bother me or mindsets that I think need to be changed, or at least updated. The idea of making an assumption or judgment about someone without any backing behind it has always been a major part of my life and a pet peeve, for obvious reasons. As of late, it feels like it has intensified. Maybe it’s just because I’m older now and am noticing it more. Maybe it’s because I’ve really started observing my surroundings and am thinking for myself. I don’t know. But I don’t like it, and I constantly strive not to do it myself because I know how it feels to be on the other side of a false assumption.
Next time you’re walking through the mall, or an airport, or a crowded street and are people watching, try hard not to assume what someone is or isn’t. Try hard not to judge someone simply on what they’re wearing or how they speak. Try hard not to assume someone’s opinions or feelings. You’d be surprised how wrong your assumptions can be.
