- Controlling Expectations is the story that needs to be told. Because [it’s easy to envision the ideal, but difficult to realize it. People tend to do Excessive Expectations.
- Moreover, when their expectations are only partially met, they are disillusioned when they see the parts that were not met, instead of admiring the parts that were met. It is preferable that the reality exceeds the plan and better results are achieved than originally expected.
- You don’t have to pledge allegiance to the “ultimate goal” from the start.
- It may change while it’s being done, but those who heard the original goal and expected it to change will be disillusioned by the change.
- Not so, just a few attempts that seem certain.
This does not apply to evil people.
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They create excessive expectations, which helps them.
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It will eventually fail, but we think we can live with that.
from The Art of Worldly Wisdom Do not create exaggerated expectations at the time of admission. xix
As is usual with celebrities, they have the misfortune of not being able to live up to the expectations they had beforehand and later on. This is because it is easy to envision an ideal, but very difficult to realize it. Imagination, combined with hope, creates things that are far beyond the nature of things. When people are disappointed by outrageous expectations, they become more disillusioned than admired. Hope is the great tamper of truth. Skill prevents this by ensuring that fruition outweighs desire. A few credible attempts at the beginning are sufficient to arouse curiosity without pledging allegiance to the ultimate goal. It is better if reality outweighs design and is better than it was thought to be. This rule does not apply to evil people. Similarly, exaggeration is a great help to them. They are defeated in the general applause, and the ruin which at first appears extreme, soon seems quite bearable.
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