Assumptions. Most people would agree that it is wrong to assume, to make assumptions, that it makes an ass out of u and me. But what most people do not realize is that we make hundreds, if not thousands, of assumptions every day, every hour. These assumptions can be both physical and mental—from the assumption that the things in our house will be in the morning as we left them the night before, to the assumption that we see from our eyes. We assume constantly in order to function on the most basic levels, do we not? Not only that, but our assumptions are intimately tied to our vocabulary. We assume, take for granted, the definitions of the words we use. How else could we get through our day? If we did not make these little, seemingly benign and obvious assumptions, how could we do anything at all?
I do not think that people have to “agree one hundred percent” with each other all the time. In fact, that would not only be boring, but it might be impossible. We all have much to learn, and it can be wonderful to be challenged by another point of view; but I do think that a concerted effort at an increasingly mutual understanding of vocabulary (both of words and ideas) allows us to grow and learn more—to be truer to our natural selves and the true nature of all things. We can achieve this by consistently and diligently challenging our own assumptions in order to allow yielding to a mutual middle ground of understanding, not only of others, but ourselves as well.
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From my personal notes, 11/25/99
