Expectations are ideas, beliefs centred on the future. They can be favourable or unfavourable, positive or decidedly negative, but either way, they end up giving you a rush of emotion. Expectations can act as goals, they can drive people to get up, motivate people to succeed, but they can also be let-downs, or depressing realists. So how high should we set ours? Is it worth setting them to begin with?
The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come true. This special validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning. (R. Merton, 1948)
The self-fulfilling prophesy: an expectation that you make come true just because you have the motivation and belief to make it happen. This can of course go either way, depending on a few different factors. This idea can be hugely helpful when it comes to reaching goals and succeeding, but, like any goal, it can also be extremely disappointing. When goal setting, you must establish that they are realistic. This doesn’t mean seeling yourself short, but rather making sure you can actually reach them. This form of expectation can either increase the productivity of a person to enable them to live up to their expectations, or they can stress and depress the person who cannot.

Heroes

Heroes also play a role in the shaping and meaning of expectations. When we were younger, we looked up at superman and wonder woman with admiration and worship. I can distinctly remember tying the cape around my neck, jumping from couch-to-couch, and a story my mother told- breaking her collarbone as she ‘flew’ off the wall as superman. These idols resonated with children around the world, providing them with the perfect role model, a hero. But what we didn’t realise that instead of flying, or shooting lasers from their eyes, a hero can be your everyday person, with a goal and the motivation to achieve it.

The definition of hero is:
1. A man distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, fortitude, etc.
2. A man distinguished for possessing superior qualities in any field.
3. Classical myth — a being of extraordinary strength and courage, often the offspring of a mortal and a god, who is celebrated for his qualities

These definitions describe the super man who everybody can see, who people recognise and cheer. But the people who work the hardest, who strive to excel in education and life, who empathise and assist, are often recognised the least. Now, a ‘hero’ is only recognised if they pull off a daring feat; maybe save a child from drowning, or fight off a mugger. These, despite amazing feats, require only strength and a set of morals, are only recognised if they have another, more special ability, even if this is simply a scientific breakthrough, or an award winning novel. The heroes we see today those that have already succeeded. This sets the bar far too high for each person. They compare themselves to the heroes of today without recognising the work and effort required to put in, the fact that not every one person has the same abilities. So by setting the expectation bar far too high, the average person with idols and a dream would often be crushed by not being able to achieve the same things as their hero- which seems like a decidedly negative aspect of expectations. Of course, this could also be an example of the self-fulfilling prophesy, which is a recurring theme when talking about expectation given its prevalence in today’s society.

Expectations in today’s society are getting higher and higher for each generation, and although I’m yet to figure out if that is a positive or negative thing, it can clearly be seen that they can go either way. How high should we set our expectations? Treat them like goals, be realistic, but don’t undersell yourself. Is it worth setting expectations to begin with? I don’t think it’s an option. We were born with expectations surrounding us, and we’ll continue to live that way. What you can decide is how much you let them effect you.