Jump to conclusions
Meaning
To make a quick judgment or decision without sufficient information or evidence.
Origin
The vivid imagery of "jumping to conclusions" emerged in the English language as a powerful metaphor for abandoning the measured, deliberate path of logic. Instead of carefully walking through evidence and reasoned thought—step by careful step—the mind, in its impatience, performs a sudden, ungraceful leap. This mental shortcut, like a physical jump, bypasses necessary groundwork, often leading to an unstable landing and an ill-founded judgment, a hasty arrival at an outcome without having properly traversed the journey of understanding.
Examples
- Please don't jump to conclusions just because he's late; there might be a good reason for the delay.
- After seeing the messy room, she was quick to jump to conclusions about who was responsible for the chaos.