Should I lower my expectations...?

Question

...so that I will never be disappointed?

Answer 1

You don't have to lower your expectations but be realistic and keep an open mind.

Answer 2

So then in order to never be disappointed, you just expect the worse? This is not a new idea. Alot of people down through time have done just this. It's called a negative outlook. It makes for a very sad existance. You never want to feel insecure in a relationship....so you opt for never having a relationship. You never want to feel the loss of an attachment to somone else (like a sudden death or a divorce) so you just never get attached. You don't want to feel the pain of failure, so you just never try. Realistically you would save yourself from quite a few negative experiences....but you would also never have quite a few wonderful experiences. And in this world there is no way of never feeling pain....so give it all you got....take the bad with the good....and push for those wonderful experiences....cause you are going to have bad times anyway.

Answer 3

Well if you continue to make high expectations that you will realistically never achieve. You forever feel disappointed and a failure. Just set expectations that you actually know you can accomplish. And once they are complete you can then progress to another which is much closer to your ulitimate goal.

Answer 4

Good question. Never thought about it really but i might try and see. Just think if you don't expect your partner to do the washing up and he doesn't, then you won't be disappointed. Or when you buy a lottery ticket, if you don't get your hopes up and you don't win, you wont have as far to fall.

Answer 5

That would really depend upon what you're talking about.

If it is men--never 'settle' for less than what you want--don't lower your expectations.

If it is education--if you are doing poorly, you might want to consider another course of study--but still keep it something you really like.

If it is a promotion at work--you deserve it, and don't get it--start looking for another job--but don't quit the first one until you have the new one.

Answer 6

Expectations lead to desire. Desire leads to suffering, for how else can we feel when our desires are left unfulfilled. However, instead of lowering expectations why don't you live your live with intention, but not attaching your happiness to the outcome of those goals. This detachment from outcome and taking joy in the journey is the best way to decrease one's disappointment in life.

Life is a roadtrip. If you focus on the destination then you create stress and frustration with everything that impedes you reaching that goal. If you just enjoy the freedom of being on the road and the sights that are offered you, then every moment becomes a joy. I used to get angry in traffic with every delay. Now, I realize that every delay gives me more time to enjoy time to myself and to listen to another song on the radio. :-)

Best of luck.

Answer 7

No, just change them. Don't expect things from people what you know they won't be able to deliver. Or, you could just smack them around and teach them a lesson.

Answer 8

I don't think you'd want your expectations to be that low. Bad things can happen to you, and you'd have to give up too much self-respect.

Answer 9

if you expect things which would be impossibble for you then yeah, if they are possible then no, fight for your expectation!

Answer 10

no, you are who you are, you just to need hang with the right people that are secured and won't let you down.

Answer 11

That's what I do.