The biggest mistake we make—and I’m guilty of it every single day—is treating an inference like a conclusion. We fall in love with our story. “The boss didn’t invite me to lunch, so he hates me.” That’s an inference, and it might be total garbage. (Maybe he just forgot. Or he had a dentist appointment.)
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Instead, treat your inference like a hypothesis made of feelings. Say, “I feel like he’s mad at me, so let me test that by asking him a question.” That saves you from weeks of awkward eye contact over the water cooler.
Quick Recap To Save You From Science
Hypothesis = “I bet that’s true.” It’s a guess you can test. Inference = “That’s true because of this.” It’s a conclusion you draw from clues.
You need both: a hypothesis to start the investigation, and an inference to piece together what you found. But never—ever—confuse the map with the territory. Or the pizza thief with the roommate who actually bought you a new pizza out of pity.
Now go look at your fridge. What’s your hypothesis? What’s your inference? And please, throw away that Tupperware. I’m serious.
