Disappointment
When are we disappointed? We are disappointed if our expectation is not met. However, if we realize that our expectation was an illusion in the first place, then the dis-illusion can be rather positive even though we are used to consider it as something negative.
Why was there an illusion in the first place? We carry certain patterns within and we learned to classify people or situations according to these patterns. Additionally we assign different features to each category. All this leads to having a predefined expectation of people' behavior or events. If someone behaves differently, we might then be upset or feel hurt.
Children who have not yet developed such patterns are less influenced. They meet life with an open mind, still unbiased but with curiosity and without expectation. They have not yet developed a fixed view on how people have to behave. Only when the child grows older it gradually learns to create such patterns.
These patterns are influenced by different aspects like our parents' dogmas, education, society, TV, our value system etc. All these things create the patterns over the course of our life and we learn to strictly categorize events according to them. Thus, we develop certain expectations.
The probability to be disappointed sooner or later is quite high, if we live according to this. We can prevent such disappointment if we remain open and observe people and events anew each time and thus leave room for new aspects and maybe even surprises. Then there is nothing but curiosity, interest and observation.
We probably discover something new every time and we might notice things differently once we step out of stereotyped thinking. Let us trust life instead of predefined patterns. If we are ready to release the patterns there is no reason to be disappointed by people's behavior.
This is not about completely dropping our expectations or wishes. Of course it feels good if wishes are fulfilled. What we drop instead is the attachment of the outcome. If a wish is fulfilled, great, if not I am happy as well. And if disappointment shows up anyway, it might help to take a nap to get over it.
Remain open and unbiased like young children:
Sometimes you need to talk to a two year old
so you can understand life again.
