The Art of Making a Mess of Life

What am I talking about? I’m talking about how so many people in so many walks of life commit the same cardinal error and ASSUME. It is by far my greatest pet peeve. For those of you who are uncertain of what it means, the basic definition used in this article is “to take for granted or without proof; suppose; postulate; posit.”

Why do I detest it the most?

First, I’ve been the victim of people making decisions affecting my life based on what they believed to be true or assumed. Second, when a person assumes, they are far more likely to be wrong or nowhere close to the truth than they are to be correct.

Here is the list of ways assuming has impacted my life:

1. I have a disability. However, many will assume I am an invalid and should depend on the state. This includes family members, HR departments, and a litany of others. It is quite insulting.
2. I am a stay-at-home dad. So of course, many will assume that I am either lazy, have nothing to do with my time, or have no marketable skills.
3. I home school my daughter. Naturally, that means she has no concept of social skills. That is such a common assumption that there is this sign for sale.
4. I like to experiment with recipes and foreign foods. When you mention a new mixture or a foreign dish, watch as they assume it will taste bad and contort their face.
5. Curriculum wise –

• Math – Barring T-proofs in Geometry, if you assume a value in math, I can very comfortably bet that you will be wrong. Amazing thing is many people make this mistake in their personal lives. It is called – budgeting on an assumed income.
• Science – When you assume something in science, it must be kept to an absolute minimum number of assumptions or you will absolutely be far off track.
• History – We’ve neeeeever had one culture or ethnicity assume they are better than another have we? England, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, USA, USSR, Al Qaeda ..nah, never. Let us not forget the assumptions made when you head off to college, get your first job, or what sport someone thinks you should be good at, etc.

6. Let us not forget the assumptions made when you head off to college, get your first job, or what sport someone thinks you should be good at, etc.

I think you get the picture. The problem is this is now so prevalent because the last few generations have been taught that it is fine to do so.