Assumptions ???

Someone close to me told me that my hatred for a certain “political person” clouded my vision. That statement took me aback and I had to think about it for a bit. He should have known me better than that but he had connected my disapproval of the man’s beliefs and actions with hatred.

 

I do not hate anyone! Yet from the perspective of others it may appear that I do because I express strong opinions. It is easy for us to assume things that are not true when we take our observations as a third party and apply our own reactions to them. So we might think, “If that person expresses extreme disapproval of someone else then he must hate him because if I thought those things I would hate that person.”  This is a trap that we build ourselves.

 

Most of the time there are not two sides to an issue but many sides. I have learned that when I hear an opinion expressed that I need to ask questions before making assumptions. I have to admit that I have often put my foot in my mouth sideways by speaking the first thing out of my mind before asking questions.