Assume Quote by Ha-Joon Chang
“Assume the worst about people and you get the worst.”
About This Quote
Assuming negativity about others leads to negative outcomes, creating a self‑fulfilling prophecy.
In simple terms: Expecting the worst causes the worst.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate neutral or positive expectations.
Themes
expectations
bias
behavior
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
motivational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- teamwork
- leadership
- conflict resolution
- customer service
Key Concepts
social psychology
communication
Questions to Reflect On
- How do your assumptions shape interactions?
- What evidence challenges your worst‑case view?
A Different Perspective
Optimism may overlook real risks.
![“Joseph Schumpeter emphasized that all analysis in economics is preceded by a pre-analytical cognitive act, called vision, in which the analyst ‘visualise[s] a distinct set of coherent phenomena as a worth-while object of [his] analytic efforts’. He pointed out that ‘this vision is ideological…” quote by Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/828/ha-joon-chang-3497_dreams_joseph-schumpeter-emphasized-that-all-an_438236.jpg)
![“If [Barack] Obama or the boss or the newspapers or anyone else tells you they're doing this, that, or the other thing, dismiss it or assume the opposite is true, which it often is.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/06d/noam-chomsky-42_assume_if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newsp_74402.jpg)