You have expectations. For yourself. For others. Sometimes you know what these are. Sometimes they aren’t fulfilled. This is a pretty common experience. When they aren’t fulfilled you feel let down. By yourself. By others. Sometimes you communicate your expectations. To yourself. To others. Sometimes you don’t. But you don’t remember that part. You know that expectation like it’s always existed. How could you possibly have neglected to share it? You must have made mention of it. You must have made it clear. You wouldn’t hold someone to an expectation that they aren’t aware of. That wouldn’t be fair. You wouldn’t do that. You’re not that kind of person. Your memory recalls you telling them. You know you did.
The thing is, you didn’t. You just think you did. You made up your mind that some thing should be some way and that everyone else would naturally see it your way. What you desire seems noble to you. Who wouldn’t agree?
It doesn’t work that way, though. Not if you expect others to acknowledge and participate in fulfilling your expectations.
The next time you feel let down by someone who you’re certain should have known better, ask yourself if they actually should know better. You might find that they don’t actually know what you expect in this situation because you never made it clear to them.
“They should have known” isn’t a very convincing, nor honest, position to hold.
It does take you off the hook though and allows you to justify your upset.
If you can’t be fulfilled at least you can be “right.”
