We all talk and hear about the expectations we have regarding how the future. As per human nature, we think and anticipate how the next day would be, as not one of us has the correct knowledge about it.

Expectation is simply defined as a strong belief that something will happen in a certain way, which could be both positive or negative. But the point we all might be ignoring is that expectations are not random guesses as to what would happen next.

Let me reveal some surprising finding about how expectations have changed the future.

Scientists have already recognised the importance and science behind expectations and the human brain. It is quite amazing to see that the brain and our expectations are connected. For example, the placebo effect in medicine. Placebo is any treatment that has no active properties, so these medicines don’t really do anything, but the patient feels he will get better after eating them, and he actually does!

Another example is that weight-lifters perform better after performance boosters, though they do not directly impact their physical activity, the expectation that it would, makes the difference. People think that branded imported coffee is more delicious just because they expect it to be.

These are just a few case studies conducted by psychologists highlighting the importance of expectations. Let me now come to our daily lives. We study hard because we expect to get good results. Our parents work hard because they expect to get salaries. We feel relieved the moment we eat Panadol, even before it is digested because we expect it to give us relief. We all bore out the Covid-19 pandemic because we expected that it would end one day, and it did.

Here comes the critical question. Now we know that expectations are important, but the skill and test is to what level should one expect expectations to turn into reality? How to distinguish between the likely and the impossible? How to know what to want and what to quit dreaming of? How to differentiate between optimism and over-expecting? How to understand the contrast between pessimism and cautious approach?

These are all questions that we are tested on. If we have the right expectations, we can actually see our dreams moulding our future. We will remain motivated and streamlined to do what we want to. However, if we have too many or to great expectations, it is likely that not all of them will be fulfilled. Then we are prone to get discouraged and lose faith in ourselves. We might then simply end up not putting in the effort and hard work we should.

Similarly, if we have too few expectations, the process of our mental and career growth will end. The doorways to improvement and progress will close. We will sink into the pit of hopelessness and despair. Life will have no meaning for us.

Thus, all of us must master the art of expectations. A sincere and logical advice would be to stay on the middle path — be moderate and reasonable. At one end, never underestimate yourself. You are unique and distinct from the eight billion humans residing on this planet. You have a combination of skills that no one has, and you can use them to conquer the world and achieve what you want. There are thousands of examples of people who were born disabled, but they achieved milestones that even strong and healthy individuals fail to reach. Look at our national pride, Jahangir Khan. In his childhood, he was too weak and doctors advised him not to take part in any physical activity. But, he pursued his dream of becoming a squash player and conquered the world of squash to become its undisputed champion.

But at the same time, you need to be wise enough to understand the human limitations we possess. We are bound to make errors and to perform imperfectly. We are born with weaknesses and we live in a world full of risks. At any point, the chances of failure are always 50 percent. We need to remain prepared if things don’t turn out the way we want, and use our failures to improve and progress.

All in all, we all need to pay attention to our dreams and goals. Once you set them, without even knowing, your brain is going to start working on them. Keep them high, but keep them attainable.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 13th, 2024