Assuming is reckless. Presuming is actually necessary.

Both are quick-draw methods of assessing information. Neither is meant to be the sole tool for serious decision making, but one plays an important initial role.

Culturally we tend to lump both concepts together, brand it all as ‘assuming’, speak of it with scorn and catchy word plays about making ‘an ass of you and me’, but then seem to find ourselves constantly doing it on a daily basis. The mislabelling can lead to feelings of hypocrisy, an impulse to mistakenly dismiss something we actually need, and the danger of depriving ourselves of the space to do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time. Assuming is a purely knee-jerk reaction but presuming is a key part of how we filter the mind-boggling amounts of information we are continuously bombarded with. In order to give ourselves permission to develop and use our ability to presume we first need to disentangle it from its mercurial cousin.

Assume — suppose to be the case, without proof

Presume — suppose to be the case, based on probability

Both are essentially a form of guess but the important distinction lies in the use, or avoidance, of previous evidence. Assumptions spring from a place of pure emotion, primarily fear. The fear of the object breeds a fear of even knowing anything about it, lest that…