This is supposed to be the very first part of my new series of commentary on various aspects of life as we perceive and experience them. I wanted the first post of the series to be the one that tackled an important philosophical and general question. I thought what better than Expectation versus Reality.

So, let's start.

Expectations have a special place in the building blocks of what makes us human.

From birth till death, we always expect something from someone. Expectations and wishes are identical twins, in a way. Both remain embedded in your heart and brain from the very moment you are born to your last moment when you've breathed your last. A child wishes to become a superhero when he grows up, he wishes to get better toys every Christmas, he wishes to have the bicycle that Caleb who lives a few doors down owns. A child expects his parents to love him more than his siblings. He expects from his parents to provide him with proper clothing, comfort, and care. Likewise, an elderly man on his deathbed wishes that he'd get a chance to be young again. He wishes that he'd get that one chance so that he could right his wrongs. An elderly man on his deathbed expects the existence of something after death because the idea of nothingness, numbness, and icy eternal cold is terrifying.

Often times when an individual develops expectations, his imagination contributes a lot to those expectations. Practically, they might be absurd but to him, they sound crystal clear and right on target. When those expectations are put into the practical playing field, that's when their true worth is unmasked and needless to say that individual is heavily disappointed. One thing that I've learned in life is that expectations and disappointments go hand in hand. You could say it's an emotional high-risk high-reward game. If your expectations are high, then there's an equally high chance of disappointment. If they are low, there's an equally low chance of disappointment. If they are non-existent, then you guessed it. The abstinence from expectations is a pretty difficult and at times grueling process.

Expectations are such a huge part of human nature that they have started to make us vulnerable. Different industrial sectors around the world take advantage of this very vulnerability. They realize that expectations of foreigners shape their perception towards their product and they utilize this to their full advantage. Let me give you a somewhat valid example.

Hollywood at times exports a facade of America.

Come to America and live the American Dream.

The export of the American Dream facade has to be up there with the biggest frauds of all time. Sure, America has its ups but it also has its downs. You can't get anything that you wish for there. You have to work hard for it like you would have to anywhere else in the world. Not everyone in America has full ownership of their house, of their car, of their other possessions. Not everyone is debt-free and educated. Just take a gander at this debt clock. Now, for the sake of our example, let's imagine this scenario.

A young adult living outside of USA goes to a local theater and sees a movie. He relates to the main character, feels like the plot is based on his own life. Same run-down, bleak town where tumbleweeds roll, same troubled domestic background, same hopelessness. That's when the main character decides to get on a bus, out of the run-down town, and into a big city much like our young adult has been conspiring to do for a long time. He sees how easily the guy in the movie gets a spacious apartment, a beautiful girlfriend, an amazing job. The American Dream on a platter. If this guy can do it, I can do it too, our young adult thinks to himself, inspired by a totally inaccurate and cliched movie. ​

So, he packs his bags, says his goodbyes, gets on the bus and arrives at the city. He manages to find an apartment which he can barely afford. It's not where he expected to be but it's where he is. He does everything the protagonist of the movie did. With negligible success. After a few weeks, he realizes that he has to face the cold hard truth. He has to understand that this is indeed the reality and there is no such thing as the "American Dream". His high expectations led him to high disappointment when he faced the eventual reality.

The purpose of the above example was to demonstrate how expectations seemed to shape perceptions and how that could negatively impact an individual's life. The key to a healthy and successful life is to have zero expectations. It sounds pessimistic and it is. But it is also the truth.

I think that it's pretty hilarious that I'm telling you what the key to a successful life is. Don't listen to me, really. I can tell you that with absolute certainty. Don't. Listen. To. Me. Try it out yourself. Experiment. When you have experienced something only then can you fully understand and grasp its concept.

So, that concludes our first part of the Commentary series. I hope you enjoyed it.​

Thanks for reading!