As the Buddha rightly said, "Individuals who assume that they know others
are only deceiving themselves." Time after time, our assumptions about others are proven wrong, yet it is difficult to overcome the impulse to jump to conclusions or form beliefs based on assumptions. For instance, when we see someone smiling at us, this does not tell us anything about their actual intentions. Just as we should be cautious in forming judgments about others, we should also be respectful of others and act cautiously since we do not want to hurt anyone out of ignorance. For example, when we visit other communities and countries, it is important that we understand their culture and traditions at least to a certain extent, otherwise there is the chance that we may unknowingly offend others.