“John loves his cooking course; he’s been going for 8 years now”

OK, so John’s been doing a cooking course for 8 years – but has anyone asked if he enjoys it? Sometimes we can make assumptions about what is important to someone based on long-standing myth and assumptions. It’s vital to make sure that things that have been assumed about someone for a long time are not taken as fact.
 
Ask John if he likes cooking, he may not have been given the opportunity to stop, or – importantly – provided with any alternatives. Experience the cooking course with John to find out how he acts when he is there. Also, think about whether John cooks at home and look for clues as to whether he likes it or not.
 
Don’t assume. Be sure what you stating is an accurate description of John.