On a cold January day, a 43-year-old man was sworn in as the chief executive of his country. By his side stood his predecessor, a famous general who, 15 years earlier, had commanded his nation's armed forces in a war that resulted in the defeat of Germany. The young leader was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. He spent the next five hours watching parades in his honor and stayed up celebrating until 3 o'clock in the morning.
You know who I'm describing, right?
It's January 30, 1933, and I'm describing Adolph Hitler and not, as most people would assume, John F. Kennedy.
The point is, we make assumptions. We make assumptions about the world around us based on sometimes incomplete or false information. In this case, the information I offered was incomplete. Many of you were convinced that I was describing John F. Kennedy until I added one more little detail: the date.
This is important because our behavior is affected by our assumptions or our perceived truths. We make decisions based on what we think we know.
It wasn't too long ago that the majority of people believed the world was flat. This perceived truth impacted behavior. During this period, there was very little exploration. People feared that if they traveled too far they might fall off the edge of the earth. So for the most part they stayed put. It wasn't until the detail that the world is round that the behaviors changed on a massive scale.
Upon this discovery, societies began to traverse the planet. Trade routes were established; spices were traded. New ideas, like mathematics, were shared between societies, which in turn unleashed all kinds of innovations and advancement.
The correction of a simple false assumption moved the human race forward.
Not all decisions work out to be the right ones, regardless of the amount of data we collect. Sometimes the impact of those wrong decisions is minor, and sometimes it can be catastrophic.
Whatever the result, we make decisions based on the perception of the world that may not, in fact, be completely accurate. Just as so many were certain that I was describing John F. Kennedy at the beginning of this post. You were certain you were right. Certain, that is, until I offered that little detail of the date.
(from Start with Why by Simon Sinek)
As I have posted before, Byron Katie, Simon Sinek, as well as Brene' Brown, all challenge us on our assumptions, the narratives we invent in the absence of data, narratives that we accept as solid facts.
What if the story you are telling yourself about someone or a situation is based on a false assumptions, and what you assume to be true simply is not? That there is a perfectly reasonable and factual narrative which is very different from the one which you have invented because you simply do not have all the facts?
What if?
As Brene' shared with us in her BRAVING acronym, let's be generous in our narratives. It could make a significant difference.
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