I Just Assumed...

1. 11:47 is not 11:11.  You're just tired and can't see straight.
2. Forget about the ghost until after you register for rooms.
3. Not all celebrity look-a-likes are favorable.
4. Make justified assumptions.

Hey, It's Megan.  'Appy Wednesday!

People make assumptions.  It's completely normal, and  it can be an effective shortcut for the mind to process information.  In some ways, it's downright rational.  It was rational for me to assume I'd have a quiz in Sociology this morning--which we did--based on how my professor runs the class etc.

A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend via text message and some weird little thing came up about how I hadn't told my parents something, and my friend's reply was "I know, I just assumed you had."  I was immediately struck by the scope and gravity of that assumption which wasn't really justified by any previous information.  In this case it had no negative consequences whatsoever, but assumptions sometimes do lead to ramifications.  I cannot tell you how many times I have acted on assumptions that later proved false and suffered the consequences.  I regret quite a few of them actually.

Like I said, we assume things all the time.  We assume it's going to be a bad day, that the test will be difficult, that someone will be offended if I ask this, that so-and-so will react in a certain way, or that one particular event is the reason so-and-so is upset.  We assume everyone in the same room subscribes to the same ideology or has the same values, or even desires the same outcomes in the future.  Sometimes it's downright painful and frustrating to be at the end of one of those false assumptions.

So I want to know when we got to the point where we assume everything and then change our thoughts and behavior based on acquired data that proves those assumptions false?  Why can't we go back to a system where we act on only what we know and where we feel comfortable enough to just ask about what we don't.  What's with all this walking on eggshells?

So my point is this, assumptions are not necessarily good or bad, but try to keep your assumptions informed, rational, and justified.  Be aware that your assumptions about other people's opinions or lifestyle may be false and capable of having negative affects.  Furthermore, own up to those assumptions.  Just be aware of yourself and how you affect other people.  I say that time and time again, but it's true and necessary. :P  On the other hand, resolve not to take everything as a personal attack.  Realize that it is perfectly okay to shrug it off, laugh it off, and understand that people very rarely have ill intentions.

Hope everyone has a great week, I should have my wonderful laptop back in my possession by then!

-Megan

A Question

1. Striking a set for a play is fun... especially if you get to kick things down.
2. Rainy days are not always bad.
3. Some songs need to be listened to over and over again.
4. Ask questions. It's ok.

My theatre professor is obsessed with questions. He constantly tells us to ask questions, even if it seems irrelevant. I partially believe he just wants more opportunities to tell his crazy stories, but I also believe he has a valid point. Life is a bunch of questions. And don't we want to live life?

I used to be terrified to ask questions when I was with peers. I never wanted to seem dumb or naive. So, I tended to keep my questions to myself. I also never really asked questions when I was with adults. Sure, in class, I asked questions, but in conversation with adults I never really wanted to ask anything, again because of the fear I would be viewed as dumb.

I've noticed when I encounter someone who always asks questions at the appropriate times, I tend to view them as intelligent and curious, which is very different from how I think people view me when I ask questions. Just a thought.

When we are younger, we ask a ton of questions. Everything is a mystery and everything is new; we want and need to explore everything, so we ask questions. What happens that causes us to stop asking questions when we grow up? I think fears get in the way. I was reading a book for my writing class and the author, Chuck Klosterman, stated, "The more we know, the less we are able to feel." It seems when we are younger, we feel the world. We don't learn it, we simply feel it. Life wasn't about facts; it was about how we related to everything around us. We felt everything.

Why can't we go back to feeling the world? If life is questions and we want to live, then living is questioning. We won't grow unless we learn and feel the world around us. And what better way to grow and feel than to ask questions?

Don't be afraid to just ask. You may find the response interesting.

Peace!

-Nicole