Assumptions provide the perfection location for labels—it is as though they form the perfect outline for a label to be placed.
Assumptions are built from a disconnect in what you believe to be logical. Keyword: you. You do not understand something, from your life, your experiences, and your expectations, you cannot and will not be able to see why one thing has led to another. For people, these are actions, gestures, personas, expressions, beliefs, and so forth.
And then slap goes the label. As soon as you have "pieced together" from your experience and your understanding of people, then you can craft the perfect assumption—you label this illogical person to craft the necessary connection in your mind to make them make sense. "Oh, well they're probably Asian!" "Oh right, he must be gay." "Well clearly she's just a bitch." "Oh, that's cause she's probably from the 'burbs."
Labels cure any illogical nature of assumptions... for you. You, and only you. In fact, in so doing, all you are doing, is validating what you believe and what you see. You are very literarily connecting the numberless dots to craft a picture that is familiar to you.
So, what you should realize is, by taking your assumptions, by slapping on your label, you are actually covering up the perfect chance to see a person for who they really are and to learn from them. Whomever you are making such labels and assumptions about in fact carries within them something you have yet to understand.
So take a moment, peel it away, break whatever faux-connection you have placed, and see this person for who they are.
01/10/11
