Good afternoon ladies and gentleman

So, now everything has calmed down slightly, after i did, admittedly get a little wound up writing about assumptions because, well, its really, really annoying ( as i’m sure you have gathered) If not? Take 5 minutes if you can, go and read it, see if irritates you as much as it does me.

First of all, let me make something fundamentally clear. I am not saying that having an online presence is a bad thing, not something that people shouldn’t use and take advantage of, something that is part of this modern world and can bring us endless source of progress and understanding in modern society. What i am against is people assuming beliefs of a certain few, an individual or even an entire nation, based purely off the opinions and understandings of a limited number of people writing on a forum on a website who probably don’t know each other. As far as we know they may live on opposite sides of the world, so can they truly now what each other think? Alternatively, could it be the induction of  limited information, warped and manipulated to fit an individual’s world view?

This split personality makes for the development of these assumptions. We tend to make ourselves believe that because online we have less of an identity, nobody really knows who anyone is and can’t really do anything if they don’t like what someone says or does. This makes for a much simpler existence, as we cannot upset anyone. We have a fundamental fear, throughout all cultures, of not being liked, of being a pariah based on what we think, what we do and believe. We hide online, hide the real person so deep, tied up in knots and bows, we end up losing who we are. Its really a shame, its something i truly hate, because it means we don’t know who we are.

This adverts, the magazines, the papers, the news, everything tells you of how celebrities are living, idols in a really peculiar, almost grandiose state where we spend so much of our lives, normally or online, trying to be this person. Walking like they walk, thinking the way they think, trying to become them. Why do we do this? We think our lives will be infinitely better if we do this or that, but will it? Are you living your life on your terms? Or are you living to become someone else?

This is where the assumptions are based. We are all being told what is good, what is bad, right, wrong etc. This creates impressions, be it of yourself, of a group of individuals or an entire population because we are living online looking at the next big thing, or our favorite celebrity selling something else. We assume because we are fearful. Fearful of being wrong, fearful of upsetting someone, we fear being seen as wrong, while everyone else feels right.

If enough people make assumptions about us, then we will start to believe them and the person we really are, the person we really want to be just ends up feeling further and further away. However, we cannot stop people making assumptions. Its just what we do, to think we have the upper hand, with more information giving us a better understanding. It makes us feel powerful. In life these day, power matters more than anything else.

You can’t change assumptions, you can’t make people think about you in a different way. However, you can choose how you deal with the assumptions people are making. That person you are online, as much as you hope its you, is it? Ask yourself. Really? Or is it something you think you would want to be- if you could?

Please people. Be the person you want to be in real life, online, everywhere. See something, decide whether you like it, dislike, agree or disagree with it and hold on to that. Its yours! Nobody can take that away from you if you choose to not let them. If you find more information that could evolve your opinion, be free to move forward, to understand and most of all, most of all, allow yourself to think freely, be the person you want to be without worrying whats good or bad, right or wrong. Do what makes you feel good, be the person that makes you feel this way and not who you are supposed to be, what people assume you should be. Life is too short to be someone you are supposed to be.

They will always assume, its up to you what you do with it.

So here’s to you, the beautiful, free thinking individual.

be a part of The Thinking Evolution.

Until next time. DR

Random motivation picture.