Jumping to Conclusions

There’s a tongue-in-cheek saying that the only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions. The truth is that most of us are guilty at some time of assuming the worst. Years ago, in a class focusing on stages of aging, a doctor presented a case study to some medical school students. The patient under his care was described as not speaking nor comprehending any spoken words. At times she would babble incoherently for hours, and seemed disoriented. She did respond to her name, but in the six months that he had worked with her, she showed a complete disregard for her personal appearance and made no effort to assist with her care. She still had to be fed, bathed, and clothed by others.