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What did you think when you saw the title of this blog? I am sure you formed some idea on what it’s about. Let’s see.
Today I finished the book “Vondel’s Revenge” (original Dutch title ‘De wraak van Vondel’). Basically not a very deep activity but it did trigger something. When I bought the book at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on the way to a German city for work, I thought I was buying a book in which Vondel and his contemporaries would experience an exciting adventure. I’ve recently been fascinated by historical novels so I was looking forward to reading something of that sort. However, it is a book that takes place in 2013 with only some references to the past. (This was clear already on page 1, so I could have known, but I didn’t read that far ahead and bought the book purely on the basis of its cover).
I had, therefore, made an assumption. The title had misled me, or rather; lead me in a certain direction.
You make assumptions before you realise it. Often they are based on your past experiences. You could see them as a sort of ‘short cut’, a quick analysis of a situation. By making an assumption you can take a certain position easier as it were, because you already know a bit about what’s coming or what people are going to be like. That’s cool because that way you can remain in control and avoid nasty surprises. I mean, you know already how to deal with the situation don’t you?
So actually, you make assumptions in order to be able to predict the future so that you can be better prepared for what’s coming. Well … that is of course one option. Except … if you continue to live according to your assumptions and hold on to them, you will never learn or experience new things. Another option is that you let yourself be surprised and wait and see what happens, just trust that you’ll be able to deal with it and that you’ll learn and enjoy yourself.
Who knows what interesting things you could experience when you let go of your assumptions and go into each situation with an “empty head and open heart”?
Just try it out: be aware when you’re making an assumption and let it go. What does that bring you?
Oh, by the way… the book was worth it, very exciting and entertaining.
‘De wraak van Vondel’, Frank van Pamelen, 2015