Assumption fills in blanks that reality never approved.
In business…
that can cost you.
Know.
Verify.
Or simply say:
I DON’T KNOW.
ASSUMING anything in business is not recommended.
I was talking with someone the other day whose every other response to what I said was based on assumptions.
I would say one thing…
and somehow they heard another.
I never said those things.
Yet there they were…
being handed back to me as if I had.
Strange.
And dangerous.
Because once somebody begins adding to or subtracting from what was actually said…
the conversation starts drifting away from reality.
INSANITY UP CLOSE
The phrase:
“I NEVER SAID THAT”
can turn a conversation into an argument very quickly.
So I try not to take that bait if I can help it.
Instead, I may ask:
“HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT?”
Now we are trying to locate the point where the conversation went sideways.
But if that only creates more repetition…
then it is time to start over.
PAUSE FOR CAUSE.
If the same conversational method keeps producing the same confusion…
why keep using it?
Reset.
Clarify.
Begin again.
That is not weakness.
That is efficiency.
I GOT IT…DID YOU?
I had to remind the person again:
STOP ASSUMING.
STOP READING INTO WHAT I AM SAYING.
I said what I meant.
If something is unclear…
ASK.
That is the whole point of conversation.
We are trying to CONNECT.
Connection requires:
listening,
understanding,
and inquiry when necessary.
Not imagination.
Not guessing.
Not filling in the blanks with your own material.
WE ARE OFF SUBJECT
People sometimes respond to something other than what was actually said.
Why?
Because they are not fully in the conversation.
They are in:
their thoughts,
their emotions,
their memories,
their assumptions.
Then when it is their turn to speak…
they answer the conversation happening inside their own head.
Not the one happening in the room.
That is how people get OFF SUBJECT.
And sometimes they interrupt while doing it too.
LOL.
Conversation means exchange.
It does not mean:
YOU SAY SOMETHING…
AND I CHANGE THE SUBJECT TO WHAT I WAS ALREADY THINKING ABOUT.
ASK QUESTIONS
Here is the remedy.
Ask questions.
If you are confused…
ask.
If you are unsure…
ask.
If you think you heard something strange…
ask.
If your emotions are clouding the message…
ask.
Questions help clear the thinking banks.
They make room for understanding.
Try:
“Do you mean…?”
“Can you explain that?”
“Are you saying…?”
“Did I hear you correctly?”
That is much better than building an entire reaction around something the other person never said.
PEAT…AND…REPEAT
In important environments where errors can be costly…
precision matters.
Military briefings are one example.
So are:
aviation,
medicine,
engineering,
law,
finance,
and business.
Facts.
Verification.
Clear instructions.
Read-back.
Confirmation.
Why?
Because assumption introduces risk.
One wrong assumption can create:
delay,
loss,
confusion,
conflict,
or failure.
In business, you do not always get a second bite of the apple.
And first impressions are hard to undo.
So the standard should be:
ASSUME NOTHING.
VERIFY WHAT MATTERS.
I KNOW…OR I DON’T KNOW
This is one of the cleanest habits a person can develop.
Say:
I KNOW.
when you know.
Say:
I DON’T KNOW.
when you do not.
There is nothing weak about:
I DON’T KNOW.
In fact, it can be one of the strongest professional statements available.
Because now everybody knows where reality stands.
From there…
we can FIND OUT.
Much better than pretending.
Much better than assuming.
Much better than guessing and building on the guess.
ASSUMPTIONS BREED ASSUMPTIONS
Here is another problem.
One assumption creates another.
Then another.
Soon you have an entire story.
And the story may have almost nothing to do with reality.
Someone did not call.
ASSUMPTION:
They are angry.
Then:
They must not respect me.
Then:
This relationship is changing.
Then:
I knew this would happen.
Meanwhile…
their phone battery died.
LOL.
See how fast it happens?
Facts are boring sometimes.
But boring is good when reality matters.
VERIFY BEFORE REACTING
This may be the most important part.
Before reacting…
verify.
Before accusing…
verify.
Before making a business decision…
verify.
Before forwarding information…
verify.
Before telling someone:
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED…
make sure it actually happened.
That little discipline can prevent enormous trouble.
RICHIE SPEAKS
Here is one Richie rule:
Do not answer a sentence nobody actually said.
Another:
If you do not know…
say you do not know.
And one more:
Assumption feels fast.
Verification feels slow.
But cleaning up a bad assumption takes much longer.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
From the spirit of Pearls for the Soul:
“Clarity begins when imagination stops pretending to be fact.”
From the spirit of God I AM:
“What is true does not need assumption to support it.”
From the spirit of It Is Finished:
“Release the story you invented and return to what was actually said.”
PEARLS INSIGHT
Assumptions often arise when people fill gaps in information using:
past experience,
emotion,
expectation,
fear,
or bias.
That process is natural…
but risky.
The practical solution is not to eliminate all inference.
It is to distinguish between:
WHAT I KNOW
and
WHAT I AM ASSUMING.
That distinction improves:
communication,
decision-making,
conflict resolution,
and professional accuracy.
Questions and verification convert assumption into information.
PEARLS CONNECTION
This connects directly with ASKING QUESTIONS UNTIL SATISFIED…IS VERY SATISFYING.
Questions replace guesses with clarity.
It also connects with PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEIR BUSINESS…TALK TO THE POINT.
Clear communication reduces room for assumption.
And THE ONE SENSE THAT CANNOT BE MANIPULATED…BUT CAN BE IGNORED reminds us that when something does not add up…
CHECK.
VERIFY.
DO NOT INVENT THE REST.
FINAL SAY
ASSUME NOTHING.
Know…
or do not know.
Both are acceptable.
What is dangerous is acting like you know…
when you are filling in blanks.
If you hear something unclear…
ask.
If you are missing information…
ask.
If the conversation goes sideways…
reset.
If you feel yourself reacting to something that was never actually said…
come back.
Stay with the subject.
Stay with the facts.
Stay with the person in front of you.
Because walking away with an assumption can leave you worse off than when the conversation began.
And yes…
we all know the old joke about what ASSUME can make out of you.
LOL.
Better to leave with:
clarity,
connection,
and understanding.
Know.
Verify.
Or say:
I DON’T KNOW.
That works.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
Been expecting you