Things It Might Be Safe to Assume

There's a link going around right now urging us to be furious that Facebook suspended the account of a grieving mother because she posted pictures of her baby who was born with a fatal birth defect.

Here's the thing--the story happened in 2012, and Facebook apologized within a few days.

Perhaps it is more viscerally satisfying just to be enraged and hit the Share button than to stop to consider things, maybe do a little fact checking.

In my line of work, we talk a lot about "Assume Good Intentions"--basically, know that most of us are doing the best we can with what we've got.

Here are a few more I might add to the list:
Assume that not a one of us is perfect, and sometimes we just whoops.  It does not mean we are evil or irredeemable or out to get you.

Assume that people need to be told what you need.  If mindreading were especially common, we would have scientific proof of it by now.

Assume that someone else may be able to pick up your technology and make it do things you did not know it could.  (This animated .gif is kind of freaking me out.)

Assume that you don't know someone's entire story, even if they've been talking to you for years.  Almost all of us have some parts we keep hidden away.

Assume that good things may yet happen, even when everything seems like one big pile of cold wet manure. (Warm manure would at least give comfort in that one way...)

Assume that love is possible.