When I was in middle school I learned a cute little phrase to remember how to spell the word assume… unfortunately this blog probably isn't an appropriate place to repeat it. However, there is a lot of truth behind the idea that assumptions are often wrong, and this is underscored by the grave mistake of Hanun, King of the Ammonites. He listened to some very bad advice that was based solely on assumptions, and as a result, he missed the opportunity to keep the peace between his nation and Israel. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey shares the habit, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." If we can remember that, we can make huge strides in the way of not making assumptions about people and situations.
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