“Don’t Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”~ Miguel Angel Ruiz
This quote right here would be just enough for this post. I do not think that I could have said this any better than what is written.
There’s just that one thing that separates us from our lives, good from bad, and that is the assumption. The assumption is something that you are taking for granted. For the most part through communicative issues, the assumption will always lead into dangerous territory. And it doesn’t matter if you know the person two years or eleven years or fifty years.
I do not see the problem with adding one question into a conversation when doubt and confusion arise.
“What did you mean by that?”.
Trust me, if the person you are talking to is just as concerned with getting their point across without confusion, they aren’t going to mind it too much to give a brief summary and explanation as to what they just said. And once that is understood, the conversation can proceed as usual.
I found myself the other night having to do the same thing. In my head, I had assumed what the other person was meaning but just to be safe I asked about it. And very forunate to say that I was right all along but it could’ve been a mess if I was wrong.
To live in the world of assumptions and taking for granted what people are saying to us, is a very plausible and agonizing direction to take into the descent of madness.
My own personal thought is that there is nothing wrong with asking for clarification. “Always ask, never assume.”
CYA is just a part of life. You must do for yourself rather than allow the smallest bit of misdirection guide you into the pitfalls of frustration. If you don’t cover your ass, then you’re going to end up looking like one.
There’s never been any situation or circumstance throughout human history where asking a question was a “bad idea”. It only seems like a “bad idea” when we are faced with answers that we either were not expecting or hoping for. Generally the question itself was not bad.
Always ask. Take the moments away from the conversation to find out for sure what the person is talking about. Gain that knowledge and better understanding so that you are still on the same page.
Dambreaker 