Perspective · 4 min

Separate fact from interpretation

Two columns, one honest read. Most of the weight is usually in the second column.

How to do it

  1. State only what actually happened, in the words a stranger would use.

  2. Now state what you concluded from it — the intention, the verdict, the forecast.

  3. Ask what other explanation would fit the first column equally well.

  4. Decide what, if anything, you would do differently if that explanation were the true one.

You are not deciding they meant no harm. You are noticing you do not yet know.