game of assumptions

objective:

use playful debate to explore how wrong assumptions can shape our beliefs, helping participants become more aware of the limits of their own knowledge and stay open to other perspectives.

instructions:

1. warm-up reflection

   ask: what’s an assumption you’ve held that turned out to be wrong?

   1. invite participants to write it on a post-it note
   2. post them around the room (a “wall of wisdom”)
2. explain the activity
   1. “we’re going to explore a bunch of assumptions. some are widely held, some are controversial, and some might even sound true at first.”
   2. use this wheel of random assumptions to assign statements: https://wheelofnames.com/j98-6mj
   3. each person spins the wheel or draws an assumption (you can also print cards if needed).
3. prepare your defense
   1. each person gets a few minutes to prepare a 1-minute defense of their assumption, even if they don’t agree with it.
   2. encourage them to get creative, persuasive, or even satirical.
4. play the game
   1. in each round:
      1. one person defends their assumption (1 min)
      2. the others challenge it with counterarguments (2 min)
   2. rotate roles so everyone defends and challenges at least once.
5. group reflection

   bring everyone back together and ask:

   1. “what surprised you about defending or challenging these assumptions?”
   2. “did any wrong assumptions feel oddly believable when you defended them?”
   3. “how did it feel to let go of the need to be right?”
6. optional closing
   1. introduce the idea of intellectual humility: being curious about what you don’t know, and open to changing your mind.
   2. encourage participants to practice it in daily conversations, debates, and decisions.
   3. if you’re using a skills survey or framework like i5, invite them to reflect or track how this connects to their learning.

assumptions you can use

*additional to the ones in the wheel - we also encourage you to create your own!

• a successful business leader prioritizes profits above all else
• ethical practices slow down business growth
• employees don’t care about sustainability
• sustainability only works in niche markets
• businesses can’t fully eliminate their carbon footprint
• greenwashing doesn’t really hurt a company
• consumers won’t pay more for sustainable products
• small companies can’t afford to be eco-friendly
• influencer campaigns are the best way to promote sustainability
• you can be both profitable and socially responsible