Truth or Idle Gossip?

In class on Monday, we were discussing how we often jump to conclusions based on our own opinions. Unfortunately, we know little about what is going on in the minds of others, so our views tend to be inaccurate.

An example was given of a woman whose daughter was named Amelia Earhart. Naturally people wondered why the mother would give her daughter this name. We can probably imagine what people wondered about. Did the daughter like being named for a famous person? Did the kids at school tease her? Would she have liked a less noticeable name?

Many years after learning of the name, Melissa told us that she learned how the name had come about. The mother had been married to a man with a fairly common name, so had thoughtfully named her daughter Amelia so part of her name would be more unusual. Some time later Amelia's parents were divorced and, eventually, the mother remarried. The man's name was Earhart. The man loved Amelia and wanted to adopt her and give her his name. This is how the daughter became "Amelia Earhart".

We know so little but that rarely keeps us from forming conclusions about other people. But our understanding is limited even though our conclusions may be prolific.

We really need to wait until we have all the facts.