--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Assumptions are the termites of…" description: "\"Assumptions are the termites of relationships.\" — Henry Winkler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/henry-winkler-9210_relationship_assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relation_1891177.jpg" --- # Assumptions are the termites of relationships. ![“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” quote by Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/henry-winkler-9210_relationship_assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relation_1891177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/henry-winkler-9210_relationship_assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relation_1891177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/henry-winkler-9210_relationship_assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relation_1891177.jpg) > “Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unexamined assumptions erode trust and intimacy in relationships. **In simple terms:** Assumptions damage relationships. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions. Themes relationships trust communication Mood thoughtful cautious Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - marriage counseling - team building - friendship maintenance Key Concepts psychology cognitive bias interpersonal dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What hidden assumptions affect your relationships? - How can you surface them safely? A Different Perspective People may resist confronting uncomfortable truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assumptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumptions/) [Assumptions Termites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumptions-termites-2733247/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Termites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/termites-469891/) [Termites Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/termites-relationships-2733248/) ## Related quotes > [“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.”  -Henry Winkler”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genna-rulon/assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relationships-henry-winkler/) [Genna Rulon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genna-rulon/) > [“I don't see anything other than pretensions and low mentality in women who make a man run after a hole that would soon be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/i-don-t-see-anything-other-than-pretensions-and-low-mentality-in/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [The termites have got me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-ruth/the-termites-have-got-me/) [Babe Ruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-ruth/) > [“The termites of reduction have always gnawed away at life: even the greatest love ends up as a skeleton of feeble memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-termites-of-reduction-have-always-gnawed-away-at-life-even-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Friends are like termites they only come around when its sweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/so-sick-aka-mk/friends-are-like-termites-they-only-come-around-when-its-sweet/) [So-sick -AKA- Mk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/so-sick-aka-mk/) > [Learn to say No—and to be rude about it when necessary. Otherwise you will not have time to carry out your duty, or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/learn-to-say-no-and-to-be-rude-about-it-when-necessary-otherwise-you/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If America was a house, the Left would root for the termites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/if-america-was-a-house-the-left-would-root-for-the-termites/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [“from the soil’s or soil dweller’s perspective, chemical additives are not such a great thing. With zai, the organic matter in the hollows attracts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/from-the-soil-s-or-soil-dweller-s-perspective-chemical-additives-are/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [Doubts over the cliff termites tend to fill the hollowness in relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/doubts-over-the-cliff-termites-tend-to-fill-the-hollowness-in/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“... Humans turn the places they live into great crowded piles of mud and stone, like the nests termites build--but what happens when in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/humans-turn-the-places-they-live-into-great-crowded-piles-of-mud-and/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“The foundations of some formerly strong lands became so riddled with termites of diminished purpose, so decayed with the decadence of smug moderation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-foundations-of-some-formerly-strong-lands-became-so-riddled-with/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Two things eat from the inside. Termites and Memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shouvik-bhattacharya/two-things-eat-from-the-inside-termites-and-memories/) [Shouvik Bhattacharya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shouvik-bhattacharya/) > [I know we're termites. But if all the termites got together, the house would fall down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/i-know-we-re-termites-but-if-all-the-termites-got-together-the-house/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) > [It is interesting, that termites don't build things, and the great builders of our nation almost to a man have been Christians, because Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/it-is-interesting-that-termites-don-t-build-things-and-the-great/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [The books of Expectations have begun to despair of termites, Wedo not like Again and again broke Shred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-books-of-expectations-have-begun-to-despair-of-termites-wedo-not/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) ## More by Henry Winkler > [In school, I was an underachiever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/in-school-i-was-an-underachiever/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [If you clear your mind, you can fill it with your character. If it is cluttered, if it is anxious, if you're thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/if-you-clear-your-mind-you-can-fill-it-with-your-character-if-it-is/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [ Somebody said, 'Hey, there is a lull in your career. Why don't you write books about your \[dyslexia\]?' We are currently writing our 34th… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/somebody-said-hey-there-is-a-lull-in-your-career-why-don-t-you-write/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [Wes Craven is a wonderful friend, and we had a really good time together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/wes-craven-is-a-wonderful-friend-and-we-had-a-really-good-time/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [“Your mind knows only somethings. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what youknow instinctively, it will always lead you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/your-mind-knows-only-somethings-your-inner-voice-your-instinct-knows/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [It was a very difficult time, 1984. 'Happy Days' ended. I said, 'There's no way I can be a producer.' My attorney said, 'You'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/it-was-a-very-difficult-time-1984-happy-days-ended-i-said-there-s-no/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [I was allergic to school. I was completely befuddled by school. I was trying so hard, but I couldn't succeed. I took geometry for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/i-was-allergic-to-school-i-was-completely-befuddled-by-school-i-was/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [I didn't read a book until I was 31 years old when I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Books terrified me. They made me nervous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/i-didn-t-read-a-book-until-i-was-31-years-old-when-i-was-diagnosed/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [The arts help complete a person. I truly believe that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/the-arts-help-complete-a-person-i-truly-believe-that/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [I had a dream, and I'm living it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/i-had-a-dream-and-i-m-living-it/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [Boston is large enough to learn your independence and small enough to make your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/boston-is-large-enough-to-learn-your-independence-and-small-enough-to/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [ I never knew that \["Hank Zipzer"\] would happen in my life. It is one of the greatest things. It is like a gift from… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/i-never-knew-that-hank-zipzer-would-happen-in-my-life-it-is-one-of/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [As we sit here and idly chat, there are woman, female human beings, rolling around in strange beds with strange men, and we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/as-we-sit-here-and-idly-chat-there-are-woman-female-human-beings/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [Right now I belong to the wonderful organization called The Children's Action Network. The first thing we did was immunize 200,000 children across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/right-now-i-belong-to-the-wonderful-organization-called-the-children/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [I was dyslexic and didn't know it until I was 31. Couldn't do math, spell, or tell left from right - left was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/i-was-dyslexic-and-didn-t-know-it-until-i-was-31-couldn-t-do-math/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) [Explore all 74 Henry Winkler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) ## More Assumptions quotes > [There was a lot of stress and assumptions made without me even saying anything, which was very upsetting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-stevens/there-was-a-lot-of-stress-and-assumptions-made-without-me-even-saying/) [Craig Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-stevens/) > [When assumptions were made that I was going to bail out there was a little part of my brain that thought 'I am going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-stevens/when-assumptions-were-made-that-i-was-going-to-bail-out-there-was-a/) [Craig Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-stevens/) > [“One should not make more assumptions than are absolutely necessary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-kerner/one-should-not-make-more-assumptions-than-are-absolutely-necessary/) [Ian Kerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-kerner/) > [I think facts remove assumptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-williams/i-think-facts-remove-assumptions/) [Monty Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-williams/) > [“While you judge me by my outward appearance I am silently doing the same to you, even though there's a ninety-percent chance that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/while-you-judge-me-by-my-outward-appearance-i-am-silently-doing-the/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Civilizaton rests on the assumption that the universe is kindly disposed towards mankind and intended for our benefit. Imagine the upheaval were it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovegrove/civilizaton-rests-on-the-assumption-that-the-universe-is-kindly/) [James Lovegrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovegrove/) > [For me, filmmaking is not about making statements but about exposing human behavior so people are eager enough to start thinking on their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/for-me-filmmaking-is-not-about-making-statements-but-about-exposing/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [“The problem with making assumptions is that we believe they are the truth. We could swear they are real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz/the-problem-with-making-assumptions-is-that-we-believe-they-are-the/) [Miguel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz/) > [People just assume, over the years, that soccer players are not too intelligent. As with most assumptions, they're wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckham/people-just-assume-over-the-years-that-soccer-players-are-not-too/) [David Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckham/) > [The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-explanation-requiring-the-fewest-assumptions-is-most-likely-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Words in the head are sticky and social creatures – when you finally pull one out, you're liable to get lots of bits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-carlson/words-in-the-head-are-sticky-and-social-creatures-when-you-finally/) [Greg Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-carlson/) > [“The professor argues against measuring effectiveness in the shallow short-term in the "fierce humanities," for teaching that seeks not merely learning, but unlearning, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-nelson/the-professor-argues-against-measuring-effectiveness-in-the-shallow/) [Cary Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-nelson/) > [I'm like anyone; I make a lot of my assumptions about actors I don't know from what I read about them. And then I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-m-like-anyone-i-make-a-lot-of-my-assumptions-about-actors-i-don-t/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [One thing that irritates me is when people kind of make assumptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/one-thing-that-irritates-me-is-when-people-kind-of-make-assumptions/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [“To assume is to presume.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-morgan/to-assume-is-to-presume/) [Jude Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-morgan/) [Browse all 393 Assumptions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumptions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Assumptions are the termites of relationships.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Winkler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relationships/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assumptions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relationships/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/henry-winkler-9210_relationship_assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relation_1891177.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/henry-winkler-9210_relationship_assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relation_1891177.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/henry-winkler-9210_relationship_assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relation_1891177.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” — Henry Winkler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Winkler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Assumptions are the termites of relationships.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relationships/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/assumptions-are-the-termites-of-relationships/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```