We have all done it. Someone doesn’t return a text. A coworker walks past without saying hello. A decision was made, and we weren’t included. Before long, our minds go to work and we begin writing stories, filling in the blanks, and assigning motives. The problem? Most of what we create in those moments isn’t the truth. It’s an assumption.

Assumptions are dangerous because they feel like understanding, but are the opposite. They are the lowest form of knowledge. Instead of seeking the facts, we fill the spaces with what we think might be true. We imagine, interpret, and speculate, then act as if those assumptions are reality.

Here’s the truth: assumptions are not the truth. They are guesses dressed up as facts.

If you’ve ever found yourself in an argument that spiraled out of control, chances are it began with an assumption. Most disagreements don’t start with what’s real; they begin with what’s assumed to be real. We respond to what we think someone meant, not what they said. We react to what we think happened, not what truly did.

It’s like doing a crossword puzzle—if you’re not careful when filling in the blanks, you can mess up the puzzle. One wrong word can throw off everything else. Life works the same way. Filling in the blanks before we have the facts damages relationships, loses trust, and creates unnecessary tension.

The same thing happens in the media every day. One journalist reports an incident by sticking to the facts. Another, wanting to gain more followers, fills in the blanks with speculation and conjecture. The first informs; the second inflames. The difference between the two isn’t just style, it’s integrity.

The antidote is simple but powerful: stop filling in the blanks until you have the facts.

So, pause the next time you catch yourself filling in the blanks. Ask yourself, “Do I really know this, or am I assuming it?” That moment of awareness can save a relationship, prevent a conflict, and open the door to understanding because what you assume can hurt more than what you know. Therefore, we all need to Be Careful Filling in the Blanks.