Musicmystery
Posts: 30259
Joined: 3/14/2005
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda
quote:
ORIGINAL: Musicmystery
Nonsense. You have expectations constantly. You expect you won't be attacked in your home. You expect law enforcement will at least keep crime down. You expect the military will do something about it if we are invaded. You expect the mail will be delivered, allowing you to continue getting and paying bills (or if you pay online, you expect that to securely work). You expect you will have work (whether employed or running your own show), and that if you lose that, others will provided it (at least eventually). You expect your doctor to tell you the truth. You expect your lawyer to carry through as instruction. You expect your partner to be with you still tomorrow. You expect other drivers to, on balance, stay on their side of the road. You expect the grocery store food not to be poisoned. You expect the government not to falsely accuse and imprison you. You expect your mechanic to keep your automobile from dangerously falling apart on the road unexpectedly.
You live in a society. You expect it to basically function. And it does.
Not to get all semantic on you, but I don't think I expect a single thing on that list. These are all things that I hope would happen, and in most cases assume probably would happen, but expect? Not in the sense that I presume they will happen. For the most part, I don't expect anything out of life that I can't see 6 inches in front of my nose. I take everything in life as it comes, and deal with it as it happens. If it doesn't happen, I'm usually fully prepared for that eventuality, because i wasn't really expecting it anyway, and I deal with it on the fly, usually with minimal disruption. I like not having too many expectations. It teaches me to live in the moment, and treat every event in my life like the unique experience it is.
I agree with living in the moment, with not setting up unrealistic expectations and so forth.
But not with your semantic distinction. For most of the things on that list, you'd take action if those expectations weren't met.
If someone suddenly swerved into your car, smashing into you and severely changing the quality of your life, you'd sue. If you took a class you really wanted to learn and the adjunct professor said "Forget about the class--it's a money gimic for me...don't worry, you all get A grades," you wouldn't shrug and say "Well, I expected nothing anyway." You'd be in the Dean's office.
Now, granted you presume the lawyer will take your case and well-represent you, and you presume the Dean will be suitably concerned and fire the offending professor. But bottom line, your expectations weren't met, and you're going to do something about it.
I understand and somewhat agree with what's being said about not taking offense, taking charge of and responsibility for our own lives and situations and so forth. But to go as far as to claim one expects nothing is just not realistic. Whether the speaker is aware of the expectations, whether they are wishes or assumptions or presumptions, we walk forth each morning with expectations, including expectations of others, even if those are consciously kept minimal.
Further, setting the bar low is not necessarily a particularly philosophical way to live, but rather a cop out to ensure a high achievement score. When those goals and expectations carry too much weight, then yes, things are out of balance, but going forth singing "I'll just expect nothing, then it's all good" would be a pretty vapid way to go through life, merely existing.
Live well.
< Message edited by Musicmystery -- 8/4/2009 9:15:14 AM >
|
RE: Expectations - 
Profile
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread