Assume Best Intent Quotes & Sayings

Whether one likes it or not, every reader is at the same time an interpreter. That is, most of us assume as we read that we also understand what we read. We also tend to think that our understanding is the same thing as the Holy Spirit's or human author's intent. However, we invariably bring to the text all that we are, with all of our experiences, culture, and prior understandings of words and ideas. Sometimes what we bring to the text, unintentionally to be sure, leads us astray, or else causes us to read all kinds of foreign ideas into the text. — Gordon D. Fee

But it is a myth to assume that the larger amount of early stimulation you provide, the more beneficial it will be. The truth is that babies can be overstimulated
which is what many parents, intent on beginning to groom their progeny for college in the cradle, end up doing. — Julius Segal

One of my favorite operations managers often reminds people to "assume positive intent" - that is, when conflict arises between people or groups, assume that all parties are motivated by the same desire to do good by the company. — Anonymous

Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different. — Indra Nooyi

My father was an absolutely wonderful human being. From him I learned to always assume positive intent. Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. — Indra Nooyi

Anything you assume ownership of, it will strike back at you. Ultimately, even at the time of death, whomever you've had excessive intent of ownership, it will all become painful. — Dada Bhagwan

For him, conscious intent was a form of prediction, and prediction is only possible when the status quo has reason to assume it will meet no significant opposition. — William S. Burroughs

The auspices for philosophy are bad if, when proceeding ostensibly on the investigation of truth, we start saying farewell to all uprightness, honesty and sincerity, and are intent only on passing ourselves off for what we are not. We then assume, like those three sophists [Fichte, Schelling and Hegel], first a false pathos, then an affected and lofty earnestness, then an air of infinite superiority, in order to impose where we despair of ever being able to convince. — Arthur Schopenhauer

Who-only let him be a man and intent upon honor-is not eager for the honorable ordeal and prompt to assume perilous duties? To what energetic man is not idleness a punishment? — Seneca The Younger

When you assume negative intent, you're angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed. Your emotional quotient goes up because you are no longer almost random in your response. — Indra Nooyi

I've rarely done anything that's overtly self-destructive without consciously knowing what I'm doing. And then of course, the astute journalist jumps forward and says, "Why are you being calculated?" Calculated seems to assume a sinister intent. My intent is always for artistic effect. — Billy Corgan

Thirdly, even if we assume that the world is governed by purpose, we need only add that this purpose - or, if there are several, at least one of them - is not especially intent on preventing suffering, whether it is indifferent to suffering or actually rejoices in it. — Walter Kaufmann