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Assume Quotes

On the risky business of taking things for granted.

These quotes warn against easy assumptions — never assuming the obvious is true, and the blunt observation that assuming failure is the surest way to guarantee it.

None of us should assume stuff.

Quotes by Adam Vinatieri

Never assume the obvious is true.

Quotes by William Safire

People put on certain clothes for certain reasons, I assume, when their closet is filled with clothes.

Quotes by Tim Gunn

People don't assume John Wayne shoots people and rides a horse on weekends.

Quotes by Sylvia Kristel

About Quotes

Founders, presuming they know their customers, assume they know all the features customers need.

Quotes by Steve Blank

Like all editors, I assume, I'm a reactor.

Quotes by Robert Gottlieb

The great western error about the Taliban is to assume homogeneity.

Quotes by Philip Hammond

The one way of guaranteeing to fail is to assume that we will.

Quotes by Nicholas Stern

The Brits are escorting their ships, and we will escort our ships, and I assume other countries will escort their ships.

Quotes by Mark Esper

Acting Quotes

When an introvert is quiet, don't assume he is depressed, snobbish or socially deficient.

Quotes by Laurie Helgoe

Grant, if we edited Fortran, I assume that you'd put a column thing in there.

Quotes by Ken Thompson

Today, January 23, 2019, I swear to formally assume the powers of the national executive as president in charge of Venezuela.

Quotes by Juan Guaido

I swear to formally assume the national executive powers as acting president.

Quotes by Juan Guaido

I assume you know what to do with this. That's why you were hired.

Quotes by Grant Tinker

Closet Quotes

I'm trusting. I don't assume people lie to me.

Quotes by Ben Sprecher

Nobody can assume that, to a writer, everything is off-limits.

Quotes by Ann Beattie

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these assume quotes warn against?
Mainly the habit of taking things for granted — never assuming the obvious is true, and the idea that assuming failure practically guarantees it.
Why search for quotes about assumption?
Assumptions quietly shape decisions people don't examine closely, and this page offers sharp, quotable warnings against letting that happen unchecked.
Is there a lighter or more technical example in this set?
Yes, one line jokes about assuming a column would be added if Fortran code were edited, a small, technical aside rather than a serious warning.
Does this page touch on everyday habits like getting dressed?
One quote observes that people choose certain clothes for certain reasons, assumed rather than stated outright, applying the word to something ordinary.
What other page picks up on this theme?
Clothes quotes pick up directly on that everyday example.

Even a throwaway line about Fortran code and a closet full of clothes turns 'assume' into a habit of mind, something people reach for constantly without noticing. See also Acting and Clothes quotes.