Thomas Edison was a particularly prolific inventor, registering 1,093 patents in his name, some of which would completely change our lives. It’s no wonder he wanted to surround himself with the best collaborators.
Edison had designed a very peculiar job interview. He asked candidates for the research assistant position a series of questions, such as:
What type of wood are kerosene barrels made of?
How is sulfuric acid obtained?
Where is the finest cotton in the world grown?
Where is the Aswan Dam located?
Some of those interviewed complained that it was impossible to answer all of his questions unless someone was a walking encyclopedia. The scandal reached The New York Times, which published the series of questions. Edison’s response, published in the same newspaper, was: “Each memory error could cost $5,000 in losses,” a considerable sum at the time.
However, the interview didn’t end there. It is said that Edison also asked participants to taste a bowl of soup. He immediately dismissed those who added salt or pepper before tasting it. Why? The inventor didn’t want to hire people who worked based on assumptions.
The risk of assumptions
An assumption involves assuming something without sufficient evidence to support it. Supposing involves making conjectures based on unclear evidence to reach a conclusion that we take for granted, even though there’s a high probability it isn’t. In Edison’s salt test, test takers who immediately added salt or pepper assumed they were necessary, when the more logical course of action would have been to try a spoonful first.
In fact, the main problem with assumptions is that we don’t test them; we make decisions and act on the assumption that they are an “absolute truth,” without realizing that they are just one possibility among a wide range of options.
“We tend to make assumptions about everything. The problem is that, when we do, we believe what we’re assuming is true. We swear it’s real. We make assumptions about what others do or think – we take it personally – and then we blame them and react by sending emotional poison with our words. This is why whenever we make assumptions, we ask for trouble,” Miguel Ruiz explained.
The imperative need to make assumptions
Assumptions arise from our fear of uncertainty and ambiguity. Our brains dislike empty spaces and hypotheses; they prefer to fill in the blanks and work with conclusions. This is how we make sense of the world and the things that happen to us, which gives us a sense of security.
This classic Gestalt example shows us that our brain always tries to find patterns and makes assumptions based on what it already knows. We might think the image only shows a series of spots, but instead we see a dog.
Obviously, when we try to make sense of more complex situations, such as social interactions, we can become very biased, choosing only those pieces of reality that serve to confirm our beliefs.
When we reach a conclusion that satisfies us, we accept it as valid and don’t test it further. Making decisions based on that assumption, ignoring reality, is often the most common source of interpersonal conflict, major mistakes, and resounding failures.
Can we stop assuming?
Letting go of assumptions is complicated because it’s a natural tendency to seek explanations. However, if we’re aware of this tendency, we can test our assumptions and free ourselves from their influence. How can we achieve this?
Miguel Ruiz, in his book “The Four Agreements,” an interesting essay based on the wisdom of the ancient Toltecs, gives us the key: “The way to avoid assumptions is to ask. Make sure you understand things clearly. If you don’t understand something, have the courage to ask until you clarify everything as much as possible, and even then, don’t assume you know everything about that particular situation.”
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