--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Each of us assumes everyone else knows…" description: "\"Each of us assumes everyone else knows what he is doing. They all assume we know what we are doing. We don't.\" — Philip K. Dick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/philip-k-dick-502_assuming_each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-w_1020055.jpg" --- # Each of us assumes everyone else knows what he is doing… ![“Each of us assumes everyone else knows what he is doing. They all assume we know what we are doing. We don't.” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/philip-k-dick-502_assuming_each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-w_1020055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/philip-k-dick-502_assuming_each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-w_1020055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/philip-k-dick-502_assuming_each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-w_1020055.jpg) > “Each of us assumes everyone else knows what he is doing. They all assume we know what we are doing. We don't.” [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People assume others understand their actions, creating mutual misconceptions and hidden uncertainty. **In simple terms:** We all assume others know what we’re doing. Key Takeaway Clarify expectations openly. Themes assumption miscommunication uncertainty Mood thoughtful cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - project teams - family gatherings - online forums Key Concepts psychology social dynamics trust Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions are you making? - How can you verify understanding? A Different Perspective Assumptions can lead to conflict if not addressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Each of us assumes everyone else knows what HE is doing. They all assume we know what WE are doing. We don't...Nothing is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-what-he-is-doing-they-all-2/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [How ballsy it was to just assume you know, with one glance, the things another person could live without. As if it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/how-ballsy-it-was-to-just-assume-you-know-with-one-glance-the-things/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you come in and you act like you know what you're doing and you look like you know what you're doing, everybody is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/when-you-come-in-and-you-act-like-you-know-what-you-re-doing-and-you/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) > [If you don't enjoy what you're doing, how can you assume anyone else will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/if-you-don-t-enjoy-what-you-re-doing-how-can-you-assume-anyone-else/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [Never assume you know where someone else is coming from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-crouch/never-assume-you-know-where-someone-else-is-coming-from/) [Blake Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-crouch/) > [“I can assume I know what ‘asshole’ means”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/i-can-assume-i-know-what-asshole-means/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [How to save your Heart. Should: Never Expect. Never Demand. Never Assume. Know: Your limits. Where to stand. Your Role. Don't: Get Affected. Get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/how-to-save-your-heart-should-never-expect-never-demand-never-assume/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Never assume that you know the mind of another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-jenoff/never-assume-that-you-know-the-mind-of-another/) [Pam Jenoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-jenoff/) > [I assume you know what to do with this. That's why you were hired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-tinker/i-assume-you-know-what-to-do-with-this-that-s-why-you-were-hired/) [Grant Tinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-tinker/) > [Don’t take the high ground and assume you already know what you’ll do. The truth is, when it comes to someone you love, you’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/don-t-take-the-high-ground-and-assume-you-already-know-what-you-ll-do/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“when you are doubt with someone on how they feel don't pretend that you know what they were thinking, never assume yourself as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinnul-jr/when-you-are-doubt-with-someone-on-how-they-feel-don-t-pretend-that/) [Jinnul Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinnul-jr/) > [“Never assume they know what you fear they know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-bingham/never-assume-they-know-what-you-fear-they-know/) [Harry Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-bingham/) > [“When you know why you’re doing something and you know there’s nothing more to it and certainly nothing sinister, it’s easy to assume that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/when-you-know-why-you-re-doing-something-and-you-know-there-s-nothing/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [I think half the time I just assume I don't really know what I'm doing - you have to do that to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-think-half-the-time-i-just-assume-i-don-t-really-know-what-i-m/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) ## More by Philip K. Dick > [So we and our elaborately evolving computers may meet each other halfway. Someday a human being, named perhaps Fred White, may shoot a robot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/so-we-and-our-elaborately-evolving-computers-may-meet-each-other/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Even if all life on our planet is destroyed, there must be other life somewhere which we know nothing of. It is impossible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/even-if-all-life-on-our-planet-is-destroyed-there-must-be-other-life/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“That is not how you do it; you do not solve one problem with another, greater problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/that-is-not-how-you-do-it-you-do-not-solve-one-problem-with-another/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [For each person there is a sentence—a series of words—which has the power to destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/for-each-person-there-is-a-sentence-a-series-of-words-which-has-the/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-want-to-write-about-people-i-love-and-put-them-into-a-fictional/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like-a-woman-not-for-that-not-for/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The day came. The wrath descended. Sin, guilt, and retribution? The manic psychoses of those entities we referred to as states, institutions, systems -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-day-came-the-wrath-descended-sin-guilt-and-retribution-the-manic/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The church of my choice is the free, open world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-church-of-my-choice-is-the-free-open-world/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“I see,' Rick said. He felt numb. Completely. Throughout his entire body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-see-rick-said-he-felt-numb-completely-throughout-his-entire-body/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“What is identity? he asked himself. Where does the act end? Nobody knows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-is-identity-he-asked-himself-where-does-the-act-end-nobody-knows/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [What scared me the most was when my father would put on the gasmask. His face would disappear... This was not a human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-scared-me-the-most-was-when-my-father-would-put-on-the-gasmask/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“A man is an angel that has become deranged, Joe Fernwright thought. Once they – all of them – had been genuine angels, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/a-man-is-an-angel-that-has-become-deranged-joe-fernwright-thought/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“When do I see a photograph, when a reflection?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/when-do-i-see-a-photograph-when-a-reflection/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [My major preoccupation is the question, 'What is reality?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/my-major-preoccupation-is-the-question-what-is-reality/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) [Explore all 489 Philip K. Dick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## More Assume quotes > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. If I'm looking at you and you call my name, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jase-robertson/we-only-call-at-ducks-when-their-rear-ends-are-towards-us-if-i-m/) [Jase Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jase-robertson/) > [Nobody really knows everything, and they can only assume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/nobody-really-knows-everything-and-they-can-only-assume/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [Partisanship is our great curse. We too readily assume that everything has two sides and that it is our duty to be on one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/partisanship-is-our-great-curse-we-too-readily-assume-that-everything/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [“I just mean, sometimes two people do something unexpected and then by that simple act alone, it just seems they automatically assume it's now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-amo/i-just-mean-sometimes-two-people-do-something-unexpected-and-then-by/) [Thomas Amo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-amo/) > [I think that we have a number of different health care challenges in our country, and certainly addressing the uninsured is one, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/i-think-that-we-have-a-number-of-different-health-care-challenges-in/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [Is it philosophical, is it quite allowable, to assume without evidence from fossil plants that the family or any of the genera was once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-gray/is-it-philosophical-is-it-quite-allowable-to-assume-without-evidence/) [Asa Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-gray/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [I think a lot of fans immediately go, 'ugggh' when they hear that someone is doing a prequel or a remake, they sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-a-lot-of-fans-immediately-go-ugggh-when-they-hear-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [You can never assume that something is going to do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/you-can-never-assume-that-something-is-going-to-do-well/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [What we assume, what we have never clearly thought out, controls us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-t-kelsey/what-we-assume-what-we-have-never-clearly-thought-out-controls-us/) [Morton T. Kelsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-t-kelsey/) > [Do not always assume the other fellow has intelligence equal to yours. He may have more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-thomas/do-not-always-assume-the-other-fellow-has-intelligence-equal-to-yours/) Terry-Thomas > [Americans assume all British people have at least one servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/americans-assume-all-british-people-have-at-least-one-servant/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everybody-does-his-job-it-will-be/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newspapers-or-anyone-else-tells/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) Browse all 542 Assume quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Each of us assumes everyone else knows what he is doing. They all assume we know what we are doing. We don't.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip K. Dick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-what-he-is-doing-they-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assume" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-what-he-is-doing-they-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/philip-k-dick-502_assuming_each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-w_1020055.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/philip-k-dick-502_assuming_each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-w_1020055.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/philip-k-dick-502_assuming_each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-w_1020055.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Each of us assumes everyone else knows what he is doing. They all assume we know what we are doing. We don't.” — Philip K. Dick", "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": "Philip K. Dick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Each of us assumes everyone else...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-what-he-is-doing-they-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/each-of-us-assumes-everyone-else-knows-what-he-is-doing-they-all/#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 } } ] } ```