Assumptions

During a certain conversation, a topic came up that I decided to address in my garden of thoughts, otherwise known as this blog...

Assumptions.

We make assumptions at every moment of our lives. We make them, among other reasons, to survive. It is an inseparable part of our instinct. Assumptions allowed humans to survive clashes with nature and predators. Or perhaps, to avoid those clashes altogether?

However, this kind of assumption will not be the subject of today's reflections. I mean rather those assumptions that determine our relationships, dependencies, and our overall development as a species.

For anyone who has had the opportunity to read my blog posts, it probably won't be a surprise that my understanding of humanity's development over the last few decades is marked by a negative perception. This is likely caused by the choices we make as humanity. Having access to tools that our ancestors wouldn't even dare to dream of, we choose paths that lead to the gradual corrosion of intelligence and the denial and suppression of what used to be the foundation of our progress.

We bow down to the bland mush served to us by mass media, because it's easy. It demands nothing. It doesn't harness the mind for hard work. And our brain is a lazy animal. Therefore, it looks for easy and pleasant solutions.

But let's get back to the point.

What are assumptions? To put it simply, assumptions are the completion of a story of which we only know a part. They are the bridge between knowledge and ignorance.

In the course of evolution, we have learned to use assumptions very often—so often that they have become our daily bread.

We make assumptions both consciously ("If I wake up at 7 AM, I assume I'll make it to work on time") and unconsciously ("A colleague didn't say hi to us on the street, so he must be mad about something").

The problem with these unconscious assumptions is that they generate the exact same emotional states within us as if our assumptions were facts.

By assuming that the majority of strangers want to harm us or influence us negatively, we build a world around ourselves where we expect an attack from every side. During this time, the brain is in a state of high alert for defense, and we lose our strength. The negative emotions triggered by our assumptions cause...

Assuming that a colleague doesn't like us, we start to feel emotions that only confirm our belief that the assumption is true, because our emotions are real. The brain receives information about the truthfulness of the assumption and builds more of them.

I used to not be able to understand why, even though we look at the same picture, we see something completely different. I am slowly maturing to the point where I can understand that you might see something entirely different than I do.

When we sit opposite each other and I draw a 6 on a piece of paper, you will see a 9. Perspective changes a lot.

It's worth revising your assumptions.

If you feel that things aren't going well in your life, revise your assumptions. Perhaps you are unknowingly feeding a monster that is turning your life into a living hell.

I am curious about your opinion. Leave a comment :-)

Thought, emotion, and the brain as a circle of mutual admiration.