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Reading is Fundamental…But…Understanding What You Read is Powerful! (2471 hits)

FACT VERSUS ASSUMPTION

As BIA is my first time Blogging (reading or writing), I am amazed at the number of folks who read between the lines of a Blog to find statements or suggestions that the writers didn’t seem to intend. Conversely, I am pleasantly impressed with the caliper of writers and readers who grasp and expand complex topics that stretch the mind.

To help me write academic thread discussions, forums, and Blackboard postings as an adjunct professor… I took a post-graduate course called “Effective University Teaching”….many years ago. One of the topics in the course dealt with knowing the difference between facts and assumptions. Shortly after the course, I created my own fact v. assumption model that I use to help college students (bachelor’s degree thru PhD candidates) logically think about things we read or hear.

Why should you care?
Well in the business word, the ability to decipher fact from assumption can save or cost you lots of money. Deals are made or broken based on facts and/or hidden assumptions. Loans are often denied based on assumptions! Confuse a legal fact as an assumption…and you could end up behind bars.

In a relationship, not knowing or appreciating the difference between facts versus assumptions can ruin a marriage. Misguided assumptions in a relationship can become so powerful that they override logic and become reality. For matters of the heart…thinking that a fact is an assumption may lead to big problems.

And in the area of American racism, fact versus assumption can hold you back from reaching your full potential. When we accept assumption as fact…we sometimes call this self promoting prophecy. When we confuse fact as assumption…we end up in trouble…or end up reliving racist events…over and over and over!

______________________________________________________________________
Please take a moment to read the scenario below and post your response. After a good number of responses are posted, I will post the answers: later tonight.
Note: I created this…so you will not be able to find the answers online. Google can’t help you with this one :0(

Scenario:

When the alarm went off at 8:00am, AJ knew it was too late. There was no way to get to work on time for the staff meeting. But as this was clearly the third time this month that AJ had been late, there was no way being late would float this time. “You have got to be kidding me” AJ thought while looking out of the bedroom window of the apartment and seeing snow fall and stick to the ground.

Well, twenty minutes later….rushed, frazzled, and unnerved… AJ was there. “I am so glad I live close”…AJ thought. “I would have never made it if I had to come from across town.”

Like most of us, AJ needed coffee to get moving and underway. But in a rush, AJ knocked over the pot…”Crash”! But there was no time to pick it up….”I have got to go…I’m going to miss the meeting” AJ mumbled. Everyone laughed…”You are so clumsy AJ”…

Questions
1. AJ knew he was going to be late?
Fact/ Assumption

2. AJ had been late at least twice this month for the Monday morning meeting?
Fact/ Assumption

3. AJ saw snow from his window at home…not work?
Fact/ Assumption

4. Twenty minutes later AJ was at work?
Fact/ Assumption

5. AJ broke the coffee pot?
Fact/ Assumption

6. AJ did not clean up the mess?
Fact/ Assumption
______________________________________________________________________
Are you sure of your answer?
Why?

Posted By: Dr. Ahmad Glover
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 11:25AM
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Very good MJ...You have a couple mixed up...but very good!
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 12:29PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

1 assumption. Aj made it work prior to the meeting...
2. assumption... the story never mentioned the day of the week only that AJ was late before for his companies staff mettings
3. fact aj noticed snow from his apartment window
4. Fact... "well twenty minutes Aj was a t work..."
5. Assumption the word crash implies a sound not the pot breaking... like the 60's sitcom Batman abd the use of Pow, boom or bang
6. Fact he said he didnt have time he was going to be late for the meeting
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 1:19PM
GREGORY GULLEY

Gregory,

Very good...just a few off. You all are very detailed thinkers!
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 1:26PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

Wow Felicia!

Very close...off by just a hair :)
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 1:39PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

well, doc, I'd have to say, based on what I read, and reread the answer to all the questions is these are all assumptions! We don't have a clear picure of where AJ is! He could be at home, He could be at a friend's house, He could be at work already and the meeting could be somewhere else
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 2:06PM
r.e jones

RE Jones,

Your answer is "almost" spot on! You missed it by the smallest of margins :)
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 2:23PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

1. AJ knew he was going to be late?
Assumption - It said that AJ Knew it was late, he didn't say that he was late.

2. AJ had been late at least twice this month for the Monday morning meeting?
Assumption - You said AJ was late 2 times this month, but did not say that it was for a Monday morning meeting.

3. AJ saw snow from his window at home…not work?
Assumption - It said the bedroom window. Here's an assumption, but AJ could work from home.

4. Twenty minutes later AJ was at work?
Assumption - AJ was somewhere, but it is a fact that he still wasn't at the meeting yet.

5. AJ broke the coffee pot?
Assumption - There was just a crash no mention of anything being broken.

6. AJ did not clean up the mess?
Fact/ Assumption
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 2:27PM
Emmanuel Brown

1)Assumption:When the alarm went off at 8:00am, AJ knew it was too late. There was no way to get to work on time for the staff meeting. However he assumed, he hadn't go to work yet so he didn't know if he was late or not. 2)Assumption: The scenario doesn't say its a Monday morning 3)Fact:“You have got to be kidding me” AJ thought while looking out of the bedroom window of the apartment and seeing snow fall and stick to the ground. However, that doesn't mean he didn't see it at work once he go there 4)Fact:Well, twenty minutes later….rushed, frazzled, and unnerved… AJ was there. “I am so glad I live close”…AJ thought. “I would have never made it if I had to come from across town.” 5)Assumption:But in a rush, AJ knocked over the pot… It doesn't say that it broke 6) Assumption: It says he mumbled that there was no time to pick it up but it doesn't say that he didn't
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 2:29PM
chivonne lawson

6) But it doesn't say there was a mess

Monday, September 8th 2008 at 2:30PM
chivonne lawson

CL & Emmanuel.

So close! Still off by just a pin head. I am very impressed.

When I post the answers you will all laugh at yourselves and hopefully see things a little differently :0)
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 2:39PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

Okay...it's not later tonight, but here's the answers.

Questions- They’re all assumptions…but there’s more :)

1. AJ knew he was going to be late?
**Assumption- AJ is a “GIRL/Female/Woman/Lady”.
I based this scenario on a close friend name Andrea Johnson. For a long time she went by AJ, until she got fed-up with folks assuming she was a guy. She subsequently started calling herself Apple Jacks and later just plain Andrea.

Some folks got the assumption part right, but everyone assumed that “she” was a “he” in their explanation. Gender is one of the biggest assumptions we make. What if your wife or husband was going out to meet their old college friend AJ at 9:00 pm for late night cocktails and a movie…is knowing gender important?

2. AJ had been late at least twice this month for the Monday morning meeting?
**Assumption- I never hold meetings on Mondays or Fridays. Many times folks fill in what they know from other things in our lives (“how we do it where I live or work”). Filling in what we think someone meant is usually bad for business.

3. AJ saw snow from his window at home…not work?
** Assumption- Not only is AJ female…AJ had a male friend who lived next door. She often saw things from his bedroom window…”where she didn’t live.

I’ve seen folks travel to the wrong state for meetings because they assumed someone meant Cleveland not Chicago. I’ve seen people denied loans, because someone assumed they hadn’t been on their job long enough…because of their title. I’ve seen true love missed…because a person thought the other person wasn’t interested.

4. Twenty minutes later AJ was at work?
** Assumption- AJ made a stop to get coffee… right? How many of you get coffee from somewhere other than work: Starbucks, Coffee Beanery, 7-Eleven, Snacko wagon, etc…?
Have people ever told you…”I’ll be right there”. And what they meant was I’ll be there as soon as I finish doing blah, blah, blah. Children are good for this one.

5. AJ broke the coffee pot?
** Assumption- Flower pot, sauce pot…there are all kind of pots. Oh by the way…does a crashing sound mean that something is broken?

Have you ever heard or read that…“Boomkesha is about to lose her house.” Maybe she is just 30-days late on the mortgage. Maybe she wants to move to a new, bigger house. Maybe she’s a he.

Fact is often illusive and assumptions abound.

6. AJ did not clean up the mess?
** Assumption- I use to hate to hear Andrea say…I’m not going to call…as she was dialing the number. Or, I’m not hunger…as she was eating. Often, what we say and what we do are different. I too have cleaned up stuff while telling myself….”I don’t have time for this”.

People often say things that don’t match their actions:
“He doesn’t love me…or she’s cheating on me”…followed by…”we’re getting married”.
“She doesn’t have a job or a dime to her name”…followed by…”I’m going to see if she will co-sign for my new car”.

Facts and assumptions can be tricky…

So what did you think? Was that fun…are there times when we read way too much into Blog?

Monday, September 8th 2008 at 3:38PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

Putting my head down in shame. I'm assuming that you know what people say happens when we assume. Good one.
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 3:55PM
Emmanuel Brown

lol-this is like the LSAT....

ok, here goes
1)When the alarm went off at 8:00am, AJ knew it was too late. There was no way to get to work on time for the staff meeting. But as this was clearly the third time this month that AJ had been late, there was no way being late would float this time. “You have got to be kidding me” AJ thought while looking out of the bedroom window of the apartment and seeing snow fall and stick to the ground.

Well, twenty minutes later….rushed, frazzled, and unnerved… AJ was there. “I am so glad I live close”…AJ thought. “I would have never made it if I had to come from across town.”

Like most of us, AJ needed coffee to get moving and underway. But in a rush, AJ knocked over the pot…”Crash”! But there was no time to pick it up….”I have got to go…I’m going to miss the meeting” AJ mumbled. Everyone laughed…”You are so clumsy AJ”…

Questions
1. AJ knew he was going to be late?
Fact/ Assumption

No--he assumed he was going to be late for the meeting.

2. AJ had been late at least twice this month for the Monday morning meeting?
Fact/ Assumption

Assumption -- no specific mention of what day meetings happen and he could have been late for meetings on tuesdays, never a monday meeting. he could have been late three times for work, but not three times for a meeting.

3. AJ saw snow from his window at home…not work?
Fact/ Assumption

assumption. he could have been a his girl's apartment. his home assumably is across town which would have made him late.

4. Twenty minutes later AJ was at work?
Fact/ Assumption
fact. he was at work preparing coffee assumingly in the coffee/break room on his way to the meeting room.

5. AJ broke the coffee pot?
Fact/ Assumption

Assumption. he just knocked it over.

i think these are right because....i thin reading is fun-da-MENTAL:)-

Monday, September 8th 2008 at 9:36PM
agnes levine

LOLLLL, i did not cheat when i answered, doc.....

you are tricky---no. 3 was verrrrry tricky with the "his window". did i ever mention i got bored with law nd never went to law school....LOL...can we just have a search-n-find word puzzle next time..........gee whizzzz:)-
Monday, September 8th 2008 at 9:46PM
agnes levine

This was fun! I forwarded it to some friends!
Tuesday, September 9th 2008 at 5:14PM
jackie ingram

ha,ha,ha...thx Corey
Saturday, September 13th 2008 at 9:56AM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

So true Corey...so true!
Saturday, September 13th 2008 at 10:16AM
Dr. Ahmad Glover