We all have expectations of ourselves and others. The golden rule of "treat others as you would like to be treated" determines how we treat ourselves and others. They impact our relationships. But we commonly confuse expectations with standards. Lorsque we don't get our underlying hopes and dreams, we get angry. This harms our connections. So, how do we tell our expectations from our standards? Why is it important to know the difference?
Expectations and standards are poles apart. We expect a scenario to unfold or a person to respond in a certain manner. Our standards, on the other hand, are a level of quality we set for ourselves, guiding our common sense. Alternatively, our expectations are made up. They could happen or not. Our standards are based on truth.
Let's say we seek affection from our partner. But we don't mind if he can't approach us delicately because he's having a bad day. In this case, all we need is that he show us affection and respect us enough to be honest. Let's say our partner is usually loving, but comes home upset and won't say why. What now? Should we act like our partner? Should we be worried about doing anything wrong? In such situations, we may feel sad or angry. But we feel this way not because our partner doesn't meet our standards, but because we don't.
We must adhere to some norms. Our norms shape how others treat us. When we set our standards, we show people we respect ourselves, are confident, and know what we want. By displaying this, we invite people to treat us with respect. However, having great expectations for oneself has the opposite impact. We set high standards for ourselves because we feel out of control. This gives the idea that we are still in charge. Of course, we sometimes overestimate our abilities to compensate for our insecurities. For example, the aforementioned example could be a terrific illustration.
It's not always easy to differentiate expectations from standards. This is especially true when circumstances don't match our expectations. We may feel fury, pain, disappointment, and so on. Feelings like this hinder decision-making and influence our reactions. If we let this happen, we may lash out, yell at our partner, or even start a fight. That's why it's so important to take a step back when such emotions arise. This is how we should approach the issue: What is the greatest way to overcome a roadblock? Are you rushing in out of rage or fear? Or should you approach the situation calmly and methodically?
The greatest method to address a problem is to approach it calmly. Assume our partner didn't meet a condition. Rather of seeing it as an attack, we should take a deep breath and move back. We must focus on our respiration. Then we should calm down and sit in a comfortable position while monitoring our emotions. Do we rage, terrorise, or fear? Or are we unhappy? We should investigate our feelings. Is it because our partner has refused to wash his filthy dishes? Is there more to our feelings? Maybe our partner's actions make us feel disrespected? Or do we feel overlooked?
We can solve problems by observing and examining our emotions. This can be difficult. "Does this emotion work for me?" Inquire. Is the emotion or reaction good for us? Is this emotion or reaction good or bad for us? Is it allowing us to get what we need as people, or is it hindering us? Examining oneself in this way helps us see what we can delete and what we cannot. Once we adopt this mentality, we can decide calmly if we can live with our partner's behaviour.
Any partnership requires compromise. A healthy partnership requires mutual cooperation. But some things cannot be compromised. It's inexcusable when something or someone fails to meet But anything or anyone not meeting our criteria may be unacceptable.