When did I stop asking questions and start assuming?

I have always asked questions, even at school when my classmates were too self-conscious about asking a question I would go right ahead. My first boss used to laugh because my catchphrase was "why?", not because I was being rude or obstructive but because I really wanted to understand how the business worked.

Asking well thought-out questions is a good thing - it helps us to understand, gives us a deeper insight. Yet somewhere down the line I seemed to have stopped asking questions and started assuming instead. I assume someone thinks a certain thing or feels a particular way - I don't ask what they are thinking or feeling. I assume everyone else wants the same things I do, I don't ask them what they want. And the thing is "assuming" can have a negative impact, on myself and those around me.

Sometimes in life asking questions can be a scary thing because we might not get the answer we would like or expect but I think it's a greater risk to make incorrect assumptions.