Who would believe? - Assumptions

Hi all,
Great chat on Sunday which I was dreading in many ways (knowing that I have been in such a confused state) but it was great that Sam opened the door and I was able to admit feeling overwhelmed at this point and finding support and knowledge through the chat.

I offered to write about assumptions  but was sure that it is a subject that I have already tackled in a blog. Looking back, it looks as though I have touched on assumptions a couple of times in blogs and in my own journal but I would like to share with you a recent experience. 

During my interviews, one of my female participants was very upset recalling a period in her life where she was judged on her size in a dance class and how the impact of that led her to leave dance for many years.  When I asked a similar question to a male participant, I was ready to move onto the next question before he had even begun. I assumed that body image would not particularly affect him, perhaps he would have a word or two to mention but......  In actuality, this participant has had as much to say about body image as his female counterpart.  It was from a slightly different perspective because he began dancing at an later age and the external pressure was projected from images he had seen of dancers rather than an individual teacher being judgmental but the result was just as real and harmful to him.

I spoke to another female dancer on the same subject, again believing that I already knew the answer. Again I was surprised because I had assumed that because she has (what i believe to be) an amazing body for dance, she dissected her body up in a very objective way. Noting length of upper to forearm, thigh to shin and so on.  Where I had seen only perfection, physically and mentally in the way that this participant approaches class and fellow students and it seems, life, I had no knowledge of what else went on for her.  I completely assumed that she was as completely comfortable in her dance skin as she showed the outside world.  She mentioned that she has accepted what she has and knows how to work with it but was definitely not in the realm of security that I had imagined.

As always, this process continues to rock me keeping me balanced off balance (as William Louther would say).

Would be interested to hear your assumptions.