Wouldn’t it be great if we were actually as smart as we think we are most of the time?
This is especially relevant when it comes to “jumping to conclusions.” I don’t know about you, but I have been wrong many times more than I am right, when it comes to this. Most of the time, when I jump to a conclusion I usually land in a place of regret…and in hindsight it is so easy to see why!
Jumping to conclusions is simply acting or reacting before we know the entirety of something. It can be in a conversation or it can be in an endeavor. It is a natural thing because we all tend to see the world through our own lens and that interprets what’s going on based on all the data we have stored in our brain from a lifetime of experiences and input. The challenge with this is that when dealing with a situation or another person, we are moving forward to the conclusion in our mind based on this limited set of data, while at the same time dealing with an entirely new set of variables (the other person/situation).
Think about how many times just in the past month where you thought you “knew what someone was going to say” or “you knew what they meant” or “knew what was gong to happen” and you weren’t even close to being right! What does it lead to? Depending on how large or small the issue, it can lead to poor communication and frustration, hurt feelings, or even crisis. This is completely unnecessary! Here are a two simple things to do to take this exercise of jumping to conclusions out of our handbag:
1. Be patient-don’t interrupt, and wait until you have seen all the information or thoughts there are pertaining to the situation.
2. Ask questions to clarify what you think is going on.
These two simple things can make a huge difference.
