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I have a few basic assumptions about human beings that I've actively challenged for years. And still I find that those assumptions have colored my perception of people. Intellectually, I know these assumptions are trash, but I get caught be surprise often enough to know they are still an active part of my perception of the world.
One really big one is sex. Unless it is obviously not true, I seem to operate with the assumption that everyone is a virgin and uninterested in sex. The companion assumption is that men will lie about it quicker than women. I am very often surprised that individuals have sex. I can remember when I was young (maybe 13-15?) thinking that pregnant women and mothers were exotic creatures because they had have sex.
And as much as I have studied about human sexuality, my data is limited mostly to the sociological importance of it. It occurs for me like a intellectual exercise applied to populations and not to individuals. Really odd, that.
Another big one is my wysiwyg view of human beings. If I see someone routinely in one environment, I will pretty quickly trust that they they are who I see. I seem to have a bit of trouble remembering that they probably have a different life in a different environment.
And a third important one that influences my social interactions is that I have a tendency to assume that under all the exterior manifestations everyone craves human touch. From one point of view, I think this is true, but it is not a matter of truth. In day to day reality, it is not true. And it is definitely not true 24/7.
Even though my life is filled with ups and downs, I tend to view my variations as aberrations and defects that most people don't have. I keep trying for a steady demeanor and a constant mood. And I keep thinking that, in the absence of an immediate trauma, everyone else has a steady demeanor and a constant mood. I get caught be surprise on this, too.
That is all.
One really big one is sex. Unless it is obviously not true, I seem to operate with the assumption that everyone is a virgin and uninterested in sex. The companion assumption is that men will lie about it quicker than women. I am very often surprised that individuals have sex. I can remember when I was young (maybe 13-15?) thinking that pregnant women and mothers were exotic creatures because they had have sex.
And as much as I have studied about human sexuality, my data is limited mostly to the sociological importance of it. It occurs for me like a intellectual exercise applied to populations and not to individuals. Really odd, that.
Another big one is my wysiwyg view of human beings. If I see someone routinely in one environment, I will pretty quickly trust that they they are who I see. I seem to have a bit of trouble remembering that they probably have a different life in a different environment.
And a third important one that influences my social interactions is that I have a tendency to assume that under all the exterior manifestations everyone craves human touch. From one point of view, I think this is true, but it is not a matter of truth. In day to day reality, it is not true. And it is definitely not true 24/7.
Even though my life is filled with ups and downs, I tend to view my variations as aberrations and defects that most people don't have. I keep trying for a steady demeanor and a constant mood. And I keep thinking that, in the absence of an immediate trauma, everyone else has a steady demeanor and a constant mood. I get caught be surprise on this, too.
That is all.