Andrés RM Velarde
On Expectation vs Aspiration.
At first glance, expectation and aspiration may seem to be one and the same.
Expectation (noun):
a belief that someone will or should achieve something in the future.
Aspiration (noun):
a hope or ambition of achieving something in the future.
It’s clear that they both tie to thoughts of the future. So how do these differ?
I believe the difference comes down to entitlement. With expectation, one feels a high level of entitlement over their future outcomes. And often times this entitlement can be unconscious or hidden. When I expect certain things to happen for me, I am, to a certain degree, convincing myself that the outcome is wholly within my control. Because I have willed it to be so, then so it will be. I am convincing myself that I am entitled to a favorable outcome for my endeavor. What this viewpoint fails to capture is how little of what happens in the universe is actually within my control. The universe will not simply bend to my will. No matter how hard I “should” on it.
Aspiration is like expectation, but with way less entitlement. It goes hand in hand with humility, and reminds me that much of what happens is beyond my control. While I may do everything in my power to optimize for the future I want, sometimes the outcome has nothing to do with my input at all. This illuminates the absurdity of expectations. How can I feel entitled to something that has nothing to do with me?
Aspirations
- process-based
- we must let go of our fixation on the outcome
- and instead focus on what’s in our control (intention, deliberation, action)
- aspirations can evolve in time because people who aspire are more concerned about “getting it right” than “being right”
Expectations
- outcome-based
- we fixate so tightly on an idyllic outcome that we lose sight of the process
- we fail to understand and acknowledge what’s within our control and what’s not
- expectations are difficult to change because people who expect are more concerned about “being right” than “getting it right”
What I seek is to aspire — without expectations.
