41 Assuming Quotes to Avoid Snap Judgments

Assumptions are the bedrock of miscommunication and can cause trouble if not aired out in the open and clarified. Read these 43 quotes to learn more about assumptions and how to avoid or deal with them.

We have all been there, where we assume something, only to make a fool out of ourselves. This could be related to work or a school project or perhaps a conflict within a relationship, whether it be familial, a friend, or romantic.

One lesson we can gather from this is that if we are not sure of something, we should put our egos aside and ask to avoid conflict and perhaps even more embarrassment in the future. Read the following 41 quotes to learn more about assumptions and tips for preventing their dire consequences.

Donna Lynn Hope’s quote: "Assumptions equal a loss of pride and the sting of defeat." | Image: AmoDays

Quotes on the Perils of Assumption

"Assuming is a form of giving away your power to another regarding an outcome that concerns you." ― Molly Friedenfeld

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships." — Henry Winkler

"Taking any assumptions into study is bad science." ― Lewis N. Roe

"We all make basic assumptions about things in life, but sometimes those assumptions are wrong." ― Darren Shan

"Assumptions equal a loss of pride and the sting of defeat." ― Donna Lynn Hope

Molly Friedenfeld’s quote: “Assuming is a form of giving away your power to another regarding an outcome that concerns you.” | Image: AmoDays

"Sometimes our bad feelings are only assumptions and speculations doing dark dances in our heads." ― Bonnie Lyn Smith

"Assumption is one dreadful and incurable disease, which sticks to the soul and wiggles across the skin." ― Aniruddha Sastikar

"There was no Jedi so wise that he could not be undone by his own assumptions." ― Claudia Gray

"It's always your assumptions about you, about others, about future that make reality worse than it actually is." ― Dragos Bratasanu

Darren Shan’s quote: “We all make basic assumptions about things in life, but sometimes those assumptions are wrong.” | Image: AmoDays

"Every time we make assumptions about what other people feel, do or think, we imprison them and us in a separate reality." ― Franco Santoro

"Assumptions are dangerous things to make, and like all dangerous things to make―bombs, for instance, or strawberry shortcake―if you make even the tiniest mistake, you can find yourself in terrible trouble." ― Lemony Snicket

"We all make basic assumptions about things in life, but sometimes those assumptions are wrong." ― Darren Shan

"Assuming things is the equivalent of sleepwalking blindfolded on a cliff edge, fully expecting a safety net to be there to break the fall should you topple over the precipice." ― Stewart Stafford

Aniruddha Sastikar’s quote: “Assumption is one dreadful and incurable disease, which sticks to the soul and wiggles across the skin.” | Image: AmoDays

Quotes on Advice about Making Assumptions

"Assess before you assume." ― Lyle Kwiatkowski

"Assumptions are unopened windows that foolish birds fly into, and their broken bodies are evidence gathered too late." ― Bryan Davis

"Rather than assuming, make sure before you speak about the fact. Glory lies in your intentions." ― Kishore Bansal

"Instead of assuming that emotional intelligence is always useful, we need to think more carefully about where and when it matters." — Adam Grant

Constance Friday’s quote: "Be careful of what you assume; what you assume often becomes what you consume.” | Image: AmoDays

"Cast aside any predictions or assumptions that you have about life – what you think is going to happen never does." — Stewart Stafford

"How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter?" ― Steve Maraboli

"Be careful of what you assume; what you assume often becomes what you consume." ― Constance Friday

"Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Have the courage to test your assumptions." ― Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy’s quote: "Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Have the courage to test your assumptions." | Image: AmoDays

"Invite people into your life who don't look or act like you. You might find they challenge your assumptions and make you grow." — Mellody Hobson

Quotes to Make Your Own Assumptions About

"If more women are in leadership roles, we'll stop assuming they shouldn't be." — Sheryl Sandberg

"Assuming audiences to be dumb, that's a big fallacy." — Rajkumar Hirani

"Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness." — George Orwell

"Assuming roles is something that simply won't work for me since I don't have a style. None at all." — Martin Kippenberger

Sheryl Sandberg’s quote: "If more women are in leadership roles, we'll stop assuming they shouldn't be." | Image: AmoDays

"Assuming that man has a distinct spiritual nature, a soul, why should it be thought unnatural that under appropriate conditions of maladjustment, his soul might die before his body does; or that his soul might die without his knowing it?" — Albert J. Nock

"I really don't have a lot in common with the people who attend the Comic Con. It's like assuming that all people who write prose are the same." — Harvey Pekar

"In sum, we took energy for granted, assuming when we flipped the switch, the lights would go on and assuming that there would always be plenty of cheap fuel for our vehicles." — Mac Thornberry

"And this is the Anarchistic definition of the State: the embodiment of the principle of invasion in an individual, or a band of individuals, assuming to act as representatives or masters of the entire people within a given area." — Benjamin Tucker

Rajkumar Hirani’s quote: "Assuming audiences to be dumb, that's a big fallacy." | Image: AmoDays

"A person's assumptions reveal who they are, more than the words they utter." ― Wayne Gerard Trotman

"The assumption that humans could be a reliable backup for the system was a total fallacy." ― Astro Teller

Terry A O'Neal’s quote: "Assuming less does not make you naive; it makes you a better listener." | Image: AmoDays

"Having our fundamental assumptions about life challenged is never a comfortable thing." ― Maajid Nawaz

"Being a grownup means assuming responsibility for yourself, for your children, and—here's the big curve—for your parents." — Wendy Wasserstein

"Life is something like innumerable layers, leaving us wrongly assuming that the first or even the second layer is the essence of the thing." ― Craig D. Lounsbrough

"Assuming less does not make you naive; it makes you a better listener." ― Terry A O'Neal

Wendy Wasserstein’s quote: "Being a grownup means assuming responsibility for yourself, for your children, and—here's the big curve—for your parents." | Image: AmoDays

Next time we wonder what someone meant, why they looked at us a certain way, or why certain instructions aren't clear, we should take a deep breath and ask. If we don't, this can lead to significant cracks in interpersonal relationships.

Beyond that, holding these beliefs about what someone believes about you or means can cause deep resentment, which can fester in a relationship, also ultimately leading to its downfall.

Sometimes, however, we can never get an explanation for someone's behavior as they disappear from our lives with no warning. If you're struggling with this, read these ghosting quotes for when you've been dumped without warning.