… so, what did you think when you read the title of this thread?
Did you think, “OK, what’s wrong with his car?”
It seems to me like most people make this assumption. And I find it a little weird.
Friend: “TVGuy, where’s your car?”
Me: “It’s in the shop today.”
Friend (somewhat concerned) : “Oh? What’s the trouble?”
Me: “No trouble, just oil change, routine maintenance. Normal stuff.”
This seems not to happen only with cars.
Friend: “TVGuy, where were you this morning?”
Me: “I had a doctor’s appointment”
Friend: “Oh? Is everything OK? Are you feeling alright? Are you sick?”
Me: “Nope, it was just a checkup.”
Same thing with the Dentist’s office - the assumption is drilling, cutting, root canals, etc. - nobody seems to remember that once every six months you go in just for a cleaning and a checkup.
Does everyone always naturally assume the worst case? OK, I mean I understand it with the doctor’s office visit I guess - people do seem to go to the doctor more for problems than for maintenance. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems odd that folks tend to jump immediately to the negative assumption before having all the data.
Your thoughts? Is jumping to the negative conclusion a normal human behavior? Or are all my friends just cynical and negative?