“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” – Isaac Asimov
Wow, this is so true. I experienced this so much last week as I was thrust in a collaborative training environment with over 400 people who I did not know. It was eye-opening for me to test my categorization of people. I noticed quite often that some of my initial judgements ( and fears and assumptions) were way off base once I spent a few minutes with them. I also noticed this same effect with my first thoughts about a few of the exercises. Wow, was I way off once things got started, and I was able to reflect on how much I was able to extract from them.
This is not to say that I was being harsh in my judgements or overly critical of the events. I was making these judgements based on experience and created future assumptions of how I thought the person would be, or the event would unfold. As we all do! I learned the greater lesson that Asimov is talking about. This week, let go of some of your assumptions about people, events and places and see if approaching things with a more receptive open mind ‘lets some new light in” and provides you will ways to grow and new things to do!
It reminds me of this section of the Proverbs
8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. Proverbs 25:8 (KJV)
or maybe this version is easy to think through
Don’t jump to conclusions—there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw. (MSG)