High expectation, low outcome - Negative correlation
High expectation, high outcome - Neutral correlation
Low expectation, low outcome - Neutral correlation
Low expectation, high outcome - Positive correlation
In the case of something good happening to you, the best kind of expectation you should be setting is a low one, because then you will either get what you expect, or be positively surprised. High expectations on the other hand only have neutral or downside potential.
A bad outcome (e.g. getting ill)
Mild expectations, harsh outcome - Negative correlation
Mild expectations, mild outcome - Neutral correlation
Harsh expectations, harsh outcome - Neutral correlation
Harsh expectations, mild outcome - Positive correlation
What’s that I suggest? Setting as harsh expectations as possible with the possibility to get positively delighted by potentially milder outcomes? The results are certainly irrefutable. But what does that tell us about all of this? It tells us to be pessimists both when considering good and bad outcomes. Pessimists never get disappointed they say. However, I hope that you have the consciousness to disregard this model, even though it may seem to be an effective and precise way to structure how expectations and outcome relate to each other. There’s one more variable that this model hasn’t taken into account. And it is the outcome.
The outcome itself is within your grasp to influence! But only if you believe it to be. From this point onwards it’s your own level of open-mindedness and power of thought that determines if the following model is more useful to you. I state that the most optimal way to live by is to set no expectations and only experience good outcomes. Let’s break that down into two parts.
Setting no expectations means that whenever a good outcome occurs, you will always be positively surprised. It doesn’t matter if it is low or high, it’s always better than nil. And so all good outcomes are joyful occurrences in your life. When it comes to bad outcomes, simply eliminate them from your reality. What’s the point in getting ill anyway? Stop worrying about your health and don’t let negative feelings and thoughts inside you create an illness. If you still do get ill, think of it as your immune system wanting to make an upgrade, which is in your own best interest.
The other part is focusing on the outcome. Only allow good outcomes to exist in your reality. You’re the one who is in control of what you get, so why experience bad outcomes? Sometimes you don’t even know if you should expect something good or something bad from an event. Take for instance an invitation to a festivity. It could be boring and tedious with uninspiring people. You’re the one who is making it so! Change the outcome to what you want to experience.
The way I see it is that pessimists are the ones who are neutral to the 90 % of the time they get what they want and are angry and dissatisfied the 10 % of the times they don’t get what they expect. Optimists are neutral to the 10 % and happy over the 90 % of positive outcomes. This is why you may not want to take things for granted.
In fact, pessimists use the power of thought against them and create less desirable outcomes, which is what they expect, while optimists create more desirable outcomes because they don’t worry about setting expectations. They care about the outcome and results, and therefore influence them instead. Whichever of the two models presented in this article you choose to live by, that’s the one you’ll see proof of working - exactly as it is designed to.
