When you try to assume, it makes an a** out of u and me

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This is one of the most absurd phrases I've ever heard in my entire life. Here is why.

1. This phrase is an assumption onto itself.

2. At some point everyone assumes something somewhere.

3. No one is perfect.

4. There are things that one may not even consider. That's the nature of being human.

Here is what I would replace this crappy advice with.

Make sure you have a reasonable understanding of the situation. Any advice, consider the source and situation of said advice. You're only human you will not always get things right in every situation. So, it's all good. If someone yells at you, apologize. If they still yell at you or says some stupid BS like don't assume f**k them! Give them the middle finger in your mind and move on.

Essentially, that’s what it means to me, is not that one should never make assumptions, but a reminder that assumptions may not be correct. I have the phrase in my signature for that reminder, because people have a tendency to make incorrect assumptions about me and I’m sick and tired of it.

So many hassles in life are caused by poor communications and inaccurate assumptions.

I hate the phrase itself, purely because it's glib and a bit smug, but the message is true enough.

You're also far less likely to miss out on considering things that aren't obvious to you, if you ask questions.

Every day's a school day, to use another glib expression.

Everyone's an ass at some point in their life. And it helps you remember how to spell ass-u-me.

First off...

Thats not the expression.

It's not "when you try to assume, it makes an ass out of U and Me".

It's "when you assume you make an "ass" out of U and ME".

Big difference. That "try to" implies that you are consciously making the assumption, which would mean that you are aware that you ARE assuming and thus are a aware that the assumption could be wrong, and therefore are aware of the possible minefield you are walking into.

Remove that extra two words- and you have the correct wording and correct meaning. Which is: when you blindly and arrogantly assume something that you're not aware IS an assumption then you could be headed for trouble.

Which is true, and which makes the correct version of the expression a very useful and meaningful expression.

Ah, that’s what I was going for, I was struggling with the wording when I put that in, for some reason I thought something should go in that space. Corrected.

That's why I make it a point not to assume anything.

The "Duck Test" is a form of reasoning.  This is one form of the usual expression:

"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it may be safe to assume it is a duck."

The test implies that a person can identify an unknown subject by observing that subject's physical and habitual characteristics.  It is sometimes used to counter abstruse arguments that something is not what it appears to be.

Did you mean to post this in one of the many "I love Trump and the alt-right but I'm not a Nazi" discussions?

Not at all.  Why did you assume that?

And, how can you assume that it is possible not to assume anything?

poe tay toe poe tah toe

Okay, so how do you come up with the assumption that it is possible not to assume? In all cases? Every aspect of life? Come on dude the very phrase is an assumption to itself.

In your life you're going to assume something, somewhere, somehow.

The phrase is a meaningless, useless, piece of garbage that blames the victim because it presumes that the person should've known better. But, in every single case how should he have known better?

By asking.

It's easy to see what somebody's actions are. WHY you think they did what they did could be completely different to why they actually did it, though.

Happens all the time.

Best cubism yet!

This is where it originated from:

Why are so emotional about this? Its like getting emotional about someone suggesting that you should tuck in your shirt.

Your comments are irrelevent to the meaning of the expression. As I have aleady explained several times - its not about "never making assumptions". Its about being aware of your assumptions.

You have to make assumptions in life, but you also have to be AWARE of what you're assumptions are.

Second...you screw up in some way. What is wrong with folks explaining to you WHY and HOW you screwed up?

If the reason I screwed was because of a wrong assumption I made then I need to know that piece of valuable information. If you leave your dome light on when you park your car- whats wrong with someone politely telling you that...you left your dome light on- and you oughta turn it off..? Leaving a light on, or making a wrong assumption. Niether is a crime. Its just a thing a to avoid.

For example you cant assume folks know things that they may not know. If you're running an organization you cant assume folks are all on the same page. Have to make sure communication has occurred, and everyone is on the same page.

But here is the main point:
You will understand the expression better when, inevitably in life, you will be on the opposite end...when folks make false assumptions about YOU. You will see how that feels.

When folks falsely accuse you of lying (because they project their own mendacity onto you), and project motives for the nonexistent lies onto you that you dont have (because they ASSUME that you have the same motivations they themselves have) then ...you will experience the flip side - and will ...have the urge to...beat the crap out them because they made an ass out of both you and themselves because of their false assumptions. Happens to me often. It will happen to you sometime. Its a two way street.