Resilience, Confidence, and Positive Thinking

2Taming Assumptions

The Seven Types of Negative Assumptions

The psychologist Dr. Ilona Boniwell put assumptions into seven categories. To make it easier to remember them, I have added “dog” to the end of each name.

By adding the word dog to the end of the assumptions, I have tried to simplify how you look at them. You were not born with assumptions. Consequently, you can view them in a carefree manner. For example, you can tell yourself, “The assumption dog just happened to settle down inside my heart.” Isn't it a bit easier to accept an assumption if you view it as just an assumption, and not the personality you were born with?

There may be several assumption dogs that have settled inside your heart from things you have gone through in your past. Whenever you encounter a problem, they bark inside of your heart and make you feel unsettled. They then develop some negative emotions that can become the trigger to problematic actions.

Anyone can have assumption dogs. However, it's up to each and every one of us to decide on how to handle these dogs. Let's take a look at the various assumption dogs.

The Righteous Dog (The “Should Be” Mindset)

This assumption's trait is that it thinks that things should be a certain way. This righteous dog was living inside Reisa's head. The “should ...