Are Your Assumptions Undermining You?
It’s natural for us to instantly and automatically generate beliefs or assumptions about other people and our environment. Most likely it’s a throw-back to our reptilian brain, which constantly scans to see if we are safe or in danger. Take a look at the following questions to discover if your assumptions are undermining you:
Set 1
True False |
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1. I base what I believe is possible on past experiences I’ve had.
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2. I already know what I do and do not like and, therefore, stick to what I know.
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3. I tailor what I say and do based on the expressions on other people’s faces.
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4. I don’t tell certain people what I think or feel because I already know what they will say.
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5. I can pretty well size people up within minutes of meeting them and then know what to expect.
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6. How I relate to people is influenced by the way they look, dress and speak.
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7. My opinions of others are influenced by what kind of work they do and where they are from.
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Set 2
True False |
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1. I regularly examine the assumptions I have about myself to determine whether my beliefs are holding me back.
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2. I know that my truth is not necessarily other people’s truth.
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3. When I have an assumption about someone, I check it out with that person first before acting based on what I think is true.
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4. I make time to clear the air with my workmates so that we don’t just assume we’re on the same page.
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5. I consciously endeavor to open my heart to people I think are different from me—and am delighted when I discover we have more in common than I had imagined.
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6. I make an effort to learn about differing beliefs and try to keep an open mind.
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7. I cultivate curiosity as a way to counteract my natural human tendency to make assumptions.
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If you answered true more often in Set 1 and false more often in Set 2, you may wish to examine how your assumptions are undermining your relationship with yourself, your workmates and life in general. Please don’t hesitate to call if you’d like to explore this issue further.