Expectations
Definition:
A pre-constructed belief about how a cause (action) will produce a specific effect (outcome).
Nature:
Psychological Level: Expectations create tension between “what should happen” and “what is happening.” Unmet expectations trigger guilt, disappointment, anger, or judgment.
Ego Function: Expectations provide ego with a sense of control and predictability. But they also trap attention in rigid cause-effect chains.
Spiritual View: Expectation is attachment disguised as foresight. True freedom is acting from clarity and allowing reality to unfold without demand.
Mechanics:
Projection Forward: Expectations project a specific future frame onto the field of possibilities.
Narrowing Effect: Attention becomes locked onto this projection, filtering out alternative outcomes.
Feedback Loop: If reality doesn’t match the expectation, ego creates loops of blame, shame, or resistance.
Release: Dropping expectation doesn’t mean passivity; it means acting in alignment and allowing outcomes to unfold without fixation.
Metaphor:
Expectation is like scripting the end of a movie before watching it. Disappointment comes when the story unfolds differently, but the movie was always bigger than your script.