We all want to enjoy happy, successful relationships with people throughout life whether they’re friends, life partners, or work colleagues. Of course, we all hope for certain traits such as respect and loyalty, but we often have unreasonable expectations of other people’s behavior and end up disappointed by their actions.
If you want to enjoy better relationships there are some things, that at least in the early stages of a relationship, you should stop expecting from everyone. Lowering your expectations will greatly reduce unnecessary friction and frustration both for you and them and will also help you focus on the positive aspects of your new friendship.
Here are five things you should stop expecting from others.
1. Stop Expecting People To Always Agree With You
If you are always expecting others to agree with everything you say, you are going to experience a lot of disappointment. People have their own thoughts and opinions and the chances that they share your views on everything are very unlikely. Different perspectives and viewpoints are what create vibrant, nourishing lifelong relationships, so embrace them and don’t get upset when someone has an opinion that’s different from yours.
2. Stop Expecting People To Stay the Same.
You probably hope that your friends would stay the person they are now forever, but most people evolve over time based on their circumstances and everyday experiences. Unfortunately, you cannot stop someone from changing, so let them grow and learn to love your new improved friend.
3. Stop Expecting People To Treat You The Same As You Treat Them
Ideally everybody would treat their fellow humans honestly and with kindness and respect, but we don’t live in a perfect world. No matter how well we treat people, not everyone will return the same kindness you show them. Smile, ignore them, and just carry spending time with those who truly value you.
4. Stop Expecting People To Be Perfect
If you expect everybody to be perfect you will always be disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with having high expectations for the people you choose to have in your life, but most will never live up to your expectations. Allow them to make mistakes and learn from them and remember not to judge. Always be understanding and never expect perfection.
5. Stop Expecting The Worst In People
Opposite to the point above, if you’re always expecting people to fail or to treat you badly, you’re not giving them the chance to succeed or show you their better qualities. So stop expecting the worst and allow those in your lifetime to be themselves before you judge them.
Final Thoughts
People very rarely behave and act in the way you expect them to, so just hope for the best and allow time for a new relationship to develop by focusing on the positive aspects of the people in your life.
