The learning material and contents provided by the AltanaESP Network & System, frequently make use of terms and concepts that aren't all that familiar to most people. This glossary - AltanaESP Terms and Concepts - is a collection of the constructs (i.e. words, terms & concepts) often used in AltanaESP materials and content. This glossary act as a source of reference to enhance the contextual meaning and understanding of these "odd" terms and concepts. Words and/or phrases hold different meanings for each person. Therefore, it is a sensible idea to "define" the constructs used and to "place every body on the same page" when dealing with such constructs. You, the reader - most likely - have quite a different definition for, understanding of or perspective regarding such constructs... and that is fine! However, within the Altana... Electronic Support Platform (i.e. Network and System), the various terms, concepts and implications are quite specific and contextual.

Therefore, each word, term or concept - included in this glossary - serve as a "resources tool" to promote understanding and context when dealing with or exploring AltanaESP materials and contents.

Browse the glossary using this index

The term assumption can be "described" as...
  • The act of assuming or taking something for granted, without further investigating it.
  • Audacious (even arrogant) behaviour that you have no right to.
  • A hypothesis that is taken for granted, not tested first.
Considering the above description, we should be cautious of making assumptions or jumping to conclusions, because frequent assumptions often are the great, great grandmother of all p#r@o%b$l@e#m&s!

This could be best illustrated by the following...

A student - doing research - had a cockroach and he set it on a table and told the cockroach to jump. And it jumped to the end of the table. After carefully measuring the distance, the student picked up the cockroach and pulled off a pair of legs. He then set it back down and told it to jump. The cockroach jumped about halfway down the table. Again he measured the distance. The student picked it up, pulled of another pair of legs and set it down again. He then told the cockroach to jump and it only jumped a little way. He measured the distance again. Then the student picked it up and pulled off the cockroach's remaining pair of legs and set it down. He told the cockroach to jump, but this time it didn't move at all. After carefully studying the process, the collected data, its results and final outcome, the student concluded... a cockroach with no legs is deaf.

Thus, it isn't much of a surprise when we realize that the word assumption is derived from the base word ASSUME which is Sanskrit for "making an ASS out of U and ME". wink