Assumptions Are Exhausting

Assumptions are exhausting because they require us to use energy on things we don’t really understand. They are those quiet, baseless conclusions we form from observation, experience, memory, and perception — often with less evidence than we’d like to admit. They may seem helpful or even protective, but more often they distort reality and hinder our ability to think and live clearly.

It helps to pause now and then to examine them. Many of our assumptions persist not because they are true, but because they are comfortable. They fit our preferred storyline. That’s why their challenge is uncomfortable. Our experiences shape us, from which, we build expectations about people, outcomes, and motives. But assumptions usually are about others’ intentions and actions. When we presume we understand someone else without understanding what shaped them, we set ourselves up for frustration, disappointment, needless conflict, and likely failure.

Assumptions are false knowledge which drain us as they give a false sense of preparedness. We rehearse a likely reaction, expect a certain outcome, and convince ourselves we know what will happen. Then life surprises us, and we must put in even more mental and emotional effort to adjust to what we never truly saw coming. The expense of recovering from false certainty is typically greater than the effort required to honestly assess uncertainty from the outset.

We live this out every day in small ways. That moment of surprise—’I didn’t see that coming’—is often when our assumption fell apart. Surprise is unavoidable, but unnecessary disappointment is not. The more we question our assumptions, the more flexible, calm, and clear-headed we become.

Recognize and avoid arrogant certainty. Question your perceptions. Reevaluate your beliefs and risks. Expect others to be more complicated. Plan for life to turn out differently than you expect. You might not avoid every surprise, but you can avoid falling for the exhausting illusion of assumptions false knowledge.  NeverFearTheDream   simplebender.com

.-. . … .–. . -.-. –