Jumping to conclusions: the inference-observation confusion - Ness Labs

• Mind reading. By watching the behaviour and nonverbal communication, we assume we know how someone feels, even when there are other potential explanations.
• Fortune telling. We predict an outcome without having enough evidence. For example, we don't even try to enter a competition because we don't think we will win. These kinds of expectations can prevent us from taking action.
• Labelling. We overgeneralise by labelling all the members of a group with the characteristics seen in a few.

It is impractical not to draw any conclusions. A middle ground between jumping to conclusions and not drawing any conclusion is to hold our thoughts in mind while leaving enough room to explore other alternatives.

Instead of mind reading by saying "I know exactly what your mean", we can ask, "Is that what you mean?" When we think there is no point in trying as it will probably fail, we can try anyway.