“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”
-Alexander Pope
It’s sad to say that if you expect nothing from someone, it is hard to be disappointed when they fail to live up to the non-existent standard.
The interesting dichotomy is that when you expect nothing, anything is exceeding expectations I use this approach in new business situations, so that I lower my chance of being let down by planning to walk out of the event with nothing other than some pleasant conversations and maybe a little knowledge. If I get an opportunity from the time, that is all bonus.
This presumption of zero results in a new situation allows any form of success to be a bonus, and unforeseen positives are always the best surprise. This low level of output assumed also almost always guarantees that the threshold of success is exceeded, so even a little benefit is valued because none was expected. It is like finding a dollar on the sidewalk: if you are out just enjoying a walk that is a bonus but if you went looking for $100 bills or diamonds you’d be disgruntled and dissatisfied. Expect less so that you can appreciate more.