expectations

November 10, 2010

I’ve long felt that many people issues are the results of a mismatch between expectations and reality.  This is especially true in policies (whether it be clubs or classes).  For example, someone expects to get an A on an assignment, but they get a B instead.  Generally they become angry or sad, which may lead to further action.  Or you expect the reviewers of your paper to give it a fair read, but they don’t.  Or any number of things.

Today I started thinking about how my own expectations affect my perception regarding movies and TV.  The example in my mind is The Office Season 6.  I was told that it was bad and that the show is winding down.  But honestly, I haven’t laughed this much in a while.  And I have to wonder if the negative review is allowing me to give it a more fair chance.  There were a couple other recent examples that I vaguely remember - in some sense the negative reviews allowed me to enjoy something for enjoyment’s sake.  In a strange way, I felt like I was experiencing them in a more child-like, honest sort of way.