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If others tell us something we make assumptions, and if they don't tell us something we make assumptions to fulfill our need to know and to replace the need to communicate. Even if we hear something and we don't understand we make assumptions about what it means and then believe the assumptions. We make all sorts of assumptions because we don't have the courage to ask questions.
Miguel Angel Ruiz
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Interpretation

What this quote means

We often make assumptions when we lack communication, which can lead to misunderstandings.

This quote highlights the tendency of people to fill in gaps in their understanding with assumptions instead of seeking clarity through questions. It suggests that fear or discomfort in communication often drives us to create narratives about situations or others, which can result in misinterpretations and missed connections.

Themes

AssumptionsCommunicationUnderstandingCourageQuestions

In practice

Example use cases

During a team meeting, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of clear communication over assumptions.

More from Miguel Angel Ruiz

We have a tendency to make assumptions about everything! The problem with making assumptions is that we believe they are truth. We could swear they are real. We make assumptions about what others are doing or thinking-we take it personally-then we blame them and react by sending emotional poison in our word. That is why whenever we make assumptions, we're asking for problems. We make assumptions, we misunderstand, we take it personally, and we end up creating a whole big drama for nothing.
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...What you are is a force--a force that makes it possible for your body to live, a force that makes it possible for your whole mind to dream...You are life
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What you will see is love coming out of the trees, love coming out of the sky, love coming out of the light. You will perceive love from everything around you. This is the state of bliss.
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Humans punish themselves endlessly for not being what they believe they should be. They become very self-abusive, and they use other people to abuse themselves as well.
Miguel Angel RuizRead
When we try to describe the truth with words, we distort it and it's no longer truth--it's our story. The story may be true for us, but that doesn't mean it's true for anyone else.
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When we believe in lies, we cannot see the truth, so we make thousands of assumptions and we take them as truth. One of the biggest assumptions we make is that the lies we believe are the truth!
Miguel Angel RuizRead

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