Where there’s smoke… there could be a smoke machine

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

The advice…

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire? Not always. Sometimes it’s not so drastic. There could be… a smoke machine.

Where it’s coming from…

It’s simple really. Things are not always as straightforward as they seem.

Why? Because we might not have the complete details to see the real picture. I’ve learnt this on a personal and work level.

In my teenage years I’d, for example, be upset at a friend for not returning a call. I’d make up some conspiracy theory and conclude, rather irrationally, that I must have done or said something wrong. Only to eventually realise (in a pre-mobile era) that she did not even get the message that I called.

As a journalist I’ve learnt to be very cautious about not filling in the blanks with anything other than tangible facts. Because there have been times when things were not how they seemed at face value. Sometimes one plus one is not two - because there is a missing number you’re not seeing. In journalism a missing piece of the puzzle can lead to you painting a completely different picture: and that is dangerous.

Which is why I often remind myself - before I jump to conclusions in my personal life - that there might be something I’m just not seeing. So while in many cases, a plume of smoke may signal that there is a fire at its source… it is not always the case.

It could, for example, be coming from a smoke machine and there’s no need to panic.

Bottom line: before you jump to conclusions about why someone said or did - or did not say or do - something: check where it’s coming from. This will save you a lot of emotional energy which you can save for when there is actually a fire.