7 Protections Against Misjudgment

A misjudgment.

It's what happens when you have a specific set of data (circumstances) and you judge it to mean such and such ~ and so you proceed based on what you thought it meant only to find out later you were wrong and so now you're in a mess.

For example I see a "smile." A "smile" to me means there's happiness there. Right? (That's what a "smile" means.) And so I judge that all is well with the individual who's smiling and so I can just pass him by, wave "Hello" and go my merry way without any problems. Agree? Except the "individual" with the "smile" happens to be a "licking his chops because he hasn't eaten in a week" Grizzly Bear. (Youch!)

That's misjudgment.

And we may not be making that level of mistake in our judging (let's hope so), but I'd like to suggest that we make misjudgments all the time at a lower level and they can add up.

And so how can you protect yourself from misjudgment? I think by practicing the following...

7 Protections Against Misjudgment:

1. Realize you're susceptible (it happens some time to everybody).
2. Dig deeper by asking questions (seek out more evidence to go on).
3. Don't be afraid to see what you see ("Pooh Bear" versus Grizzly Bear).
4. Get somebody else's input on the matter (a "second opinion").
5. Sleep on it (allow time before you proceed).
6. Stay healthy and sober (helps with alertness, discernment).
7. Forgive yourself when you fall prey and commit to doing better.

You might also be interested in:

• 7 Clues That Somebody's Lying
• 7 Ways People Get Fooled