&gt; (2) assume something _disparaging_ about the individual.<p>The problem is that &quot;disparaging&quot; is in the eye of the beholder. What you think of as silly might be really offensive to another person. What was harmless 30 years ago - say, pinching a female colleague&#x27;s bum - could today be considered beyond the pale.<p>It&#x27;s better not to assume anything about anybody unless necessary. I&#x27;m sure you&#x27;ve been in a situation where somebody has assumed something about you, and it can be really annoying.