Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D.

Jumping To Conclusions

by | Dec 22, 2010 | Anxiety, Creativity, Life Ain't For Sissies, Personal Growth

Jumping rope is fun, jumping to make a basketball shot is talented, and jumping jacks are aerobic – good for the heart and clarifying for the mind.  Jumping to conclusions, however, is not as useful and does nothing for the heart or mind.

It is hard to wait.  Most of us can’t stop ourselves from guessing the next step, figuring out the possible conclusions, or imagining the outcome of any situation that we care about.  Keeping an open mind, waiting for further information, not making assumptions – these are more difficult options.  They require us to be patient and to not know.  We want to know.  Not knowing is scary and can feel helpless. In lieu of real knowledge, we jump to conclusions.  We fill in the blanks with our own fears or hopes.  Jumping to conclusions is generally a mistake: it wastes your time and energy; it erodes patience; it is too often inaccurate; it is falsely reassuring or falsely terrifying”; and it prevents us from receiving the world with an open mind.

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