December 19, 2015 by Rebecca Pelton

Challenge Your Assumptions

Whoops!

We’ve all been there. Maybe it was an awkward dinner with a couple who kept bickering– before you discovered they were actually siblings. Or maybe it was the cab driver who turned out to be a dentist, but after immigrating needed a second job to cover the bills while he went through stacks of paperwork and testing to become accredited in the US.

Maybe the assumption that turned out to be wrong was actually about yourself— maybe it turns out you really can sing/draw/run a 6 minute mile/finish that bike race/get that promotion/ask that person out/get published/get married! Who knows?!

What is an assumption?

The definition of assumption is “a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.” Don Miguel Ruiz, author and life coach, further elaborates how this might affect us personally, stating: “Assumptions are thoughts we take for granted and believe them to be true. They aren’t based on facts, they are based on experiences of the past.”

If we continue to believe our assumptions, despite their lack of factual significance, we are limiting our perception of ourselves and others.

Assumptions are limiting…

Examining assumptions is vital to the work of A Social Ignition because assumptions affect everyone.

If businesses assume that because a job applicant has a history of incarceration they are incapable of holding down a “good job” or earning “an honest day’s pay,” these individuals will never be given a chance to do so.

Equally important is that we don’t make negative assumptions of ourselves. If a previously incarcerated individual does not believe he/she is capable of being accepted back into society, respected, and trusted, this creates a huge personal barrier for this individual. Re-entering society and the workplace is a challenge, one that can be frightening or intimidating, and it’s critical to have as much support as possible– including the personal support of positive assumptions.

Kick assumptions to the curb

In this same way our assumptions don’t only limit our own abilities– to get a job, to get a promotion, to try that new class– they may deny us a new friend, a new favorite dish, the adventure of travel. For employers, assumptions that an applicant’s past determines their future may deny a company its next Employee of the Year, or the next great idea to grow the business.

This is why A Social Ignition is passionate about questioning assumptions, and encouraging others to question theirs as well. We believe that a world free of assumption is infinitely richer and open to possibility, one where we can learn from each other and build our communities.

Originally published by A Social Ignition.