Never assume others will care just as much as you do.
Each person has their own priorities. Others are simply too busy to care about anything else besides surviving from one day to another.
Never assume others have good intentions.
There are con artists and thieves everywhere. These days, if someone says ‘trust me’, run for the hills. The only people who would say it are the ones who have bad intentions.
Never assume others have bad intentions.
Not everyone is looking to take advantage of you or is trying to do something wrong or unethical. While many are, there are even more who are honest, decent and have nothing but good intentions. They’re difficult to find since they don’t go around saying ‘trust me’.
Never assume that you are correct.
Consider that once in a while you might be wrong. Stranger things have been known to happen. Keep your mind open to other possibilities.
Never assume others are correct.
Just because someone speaks with authority and sounds like they know what they’re talking about, doesn’t mean they’re correct. Half of what I tell people isn’t correct, at least I’m not sure if it is, however I say it with absolute certainty that most will accept it without question. Always verify for yourself.
Never assume just because someone sounds intelligent it means they know what they’re talking about.
This is pretty much the same as the previous statement. People who sound like experts rarely are. The auto mechanic who rattles off defective parts that you’ve never heard of sounds like he knows what he’s talking about, but it’s the opposite. The intelligent mechanic can translate that into plain English. The other is looking to con you.
Never assume because someone is quiet it means they don’t know anything.
The smartest people are usually quiet and only speak when asked directly. Like the saying goes, it’s the quiet ones you need to watch out for.
O.M. Kiam is a blogger for JenningsWire, a blogging community created by Annie Jennings.