Assumption: a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.
My husband and I are working on the skill of asking for clarification with each other instead of making assumptions.
You can probably guess why we’re working on it. Because we’re terrible about this!
I ask, “What time will you be home from work?” And he assumes I’m mad that he isn’t home yet.
When really I just want to know how to plan the evening.
He asks, “How long has Jimmy been at his friends house?” And I assume he wants our son to come home right away.
When really my husband is excited that Jimmy has made a new friend that he enjoys. 🙂
Does this sound familiar?
We assume we know what other people are thinking but often we are WAY off.
I’ve noticed this is the case for many of my students when it comes to the assumptions they make about native English speakers.
Do you assume native speakers are judging the way you speak English?
I’ve heard the following from my students:
- “They don’t think I’m professional enough because of the way I speak English”
- “He is frustrated that I speak English too slow”
- “They think I’m stupid when I mispronounce words”
If you find yourself making these kind of assumptions I want you to stop and think…
Is this true or just an assumption?
- Did someone say my English is not professional enough?
- Did someone tell me I speak too slow?
- Did someone actually tell me I’m stupid for mispronouncing a word?
It might be true that they are judging you OR your assumption might be completely wrong.
If you are already assuming what other people are thinking about you, why not choose more confident assumptions like these:
- “They admire and respect me for speaking multiple languages”
- “She is impressed with my professionalism and experience”
- “No one really cares that I have an accent”
We are wired to assume the worst but what if we took a more confident approach and assumed the BEST?!
My guess is that by making these confident assumptions you are going to want to speak up more and show up as your very best self.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
