Assumptions: The Mind's Favorite Story

A wise person once said:
"He who blames others has a long way to go. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived."

Think of blame like a train journey. When you blame others, you're still at the starting station. When you blame yourself, you're getting closer. When you stop blaming altogether, you've reached your destination. But most people never leave the first station, they're too busy creating stories about why the train is late.

Humans love making assumptions. It's like writing fiction about real life. Your friend doesn't text back? Obviously they're mad. Your neighbor looks sad? They must hate their job. The mind becomes a detective, but instead of finding facts, it makes up mysteries. We've turned guessing into an art form.

Self-Comfort Through Stories

People use assumptions to make themselves feel better. It's easier to say "things went wrong because someone else messed up" than to look at our own part in it. We have different rules for ourselves and others—when I'm late, there's a good reason; when you're late, you don't care.

This creates what we call double standards. It's like having two different measuring sticks—a short one for yourself and a long one for everyone else. The goal is simple: avoid looking in the mirror.

As Naseeruddin Shah's character asks in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: "What do you do for yourself?" Most assumption-makers spend more time analyzing others than understanding themselves.

The Tamasha Truth

There's a beautiful song in Tamasha that says: "Jise dhundha zamaane mein, mujh hi mein tha." This hits the heart of our problem. We create elaborate stories about why things happen, when the real answer is usually much simpler and closer to home.

Ved's struggle in the movie isn't really about what others think—it's about the stories he tells himself. Every assumption we make is just a way to avoid facing the truth that's right in front of us.

The Happiness Test

Here's a simple trick to understand people: don't judge them when they're sad—judge them when they're happy. When people are upset, they put on masks and act. But when they're genuinely happy? That's when you see who they really are. Happiness doesn't lie.

Sadness makes everyone an actor, but joy reveals the real person. If you want to know someone's true character, watch how they behave when good things happen to them.

Moving Beyond Blame

The blame game is humanity's favorite sport, but it leads nowhere. Real growth starts when we stop pointing fingers and start looking within. As philosophers have noted for centuries, the path to wisdom begins with self-knowledge.

When you feel the urge to assume something about someone else, remember: the story you're creating says more about you than about them. The mind loves drama, but life is usually much simpler than we make it.

And when someone achieves anything, it's tempting to say, “Oh, they’re lucky! Everything was on their side.” We often forget that everyone’s journey has easy and tough patches. It’s like climbing buildings and on some days you’re on the rooftop, some days you fall flat on your fac. You might agree with me as well ,being on top isn’t always easy. Sometimes the real fear isn’t just falling; it’s that anxious voice whispering, “What if I jump?” Life’s view from the top comes with its own share of nerves and doubts

The Simple Truth

Next time you catch yourself making assumptions, pause. Ask yourself: "Am I creating a story to avoid facing something about myself?" Most of the time, the answer is yes. The truth we seek outside is quietly waiting inside, probably laughing at all the drama we create.

As the saying goes: often the treasure you spend your life searching for was in your own backyard all along. Stop digging holes in other people's yards start looking in your own.

The door to understanding stays open only when we stop building walls of assumptions around it.

And yes, it’s always philosophical to give some gyaan on a blog—as I am doing now. Because sometimes, the best way to handle people’s assumptions is to learn to laugh at yourself first (but of course, only inside your head, not in public). Because , “India was probably not ready for Samay Raina,” so why should the world be ready for your humor? It’s one of the funniest and most serious topics there is more likely to lock someone up for a joke than prevent a crime!

Now, I’m not here to support or criticize any artist or person. It is what it is. But this kind of self-deprecating humor actually prepares you mentally to handle what others assume about you. Because you can’t really change what people think, but you can change how you react to it.

So the real solution is not to fight the assumptions but to find your inner calm by laughing quietly inside.