The Curse of Expectation

The Curse of Expectation

Expectation          n      A strong belief that something will happen or be the case…       

Will and I went away on a fishing trip to Port Douglas recently, it was a great trip and we caught lots of fish. But mostly we just had a good time.

Will and Trevally

 

We were on a public charter out to the reef fishing it was a glorious day kind of tropical with a hint of the wet to come the sea just rolled under the boat. It was blue under and blue on top.

We befriended a young married couple with two children who happened to be beside us for most of the day. They had a great expectation of catching fish, we were philosophical, Will and I had been fishing too long to have any expectation.

 The lady (of the couple) never caught a fish all day even though we, her kids and most of the other people on the charter caught fish a plenty. Her disappointment was palpable. The day had become grey for her.

Thinking on this I thought about the many fishermen I have met over the years and their thought patterns. Mostly when it comes to fishing they are a stoic lot, just enjoying the moment and the day regardless of the fish caught. Sure they are disappointed if fish are not caught but that disappointment is muted because their expectation in this regard is not high. The days fishing are enough.

Stoic       n      a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining…

Thinking on that very disappointed lady I thought that people expect a lot today and sometimes their expectations are unrealistic or not attainable. Sometimes like in fishing, expectations are fulfilled or unfulfilled in a completely random manner, unrelated to nothing we can put our finger on.

But why do fishermen have that attitude of acceptance? What makes them different to the norm?

Norm     n      (the norm) something that is usual, typical or standard…

I think it is because they fail. They fail probably more times than they succeed, they mostly fail. They are not daunted by failure or intimidated by it. But every now and then they succeed. There is no dishonour in failing when it comes to fishing, rather it is the reverse. The honour comes in the effort and the attempt, the act of trying. When success comes it is taken with much pleasure and celebration but in the knowledge that it is a rare event. This is why the fishermen I meet on the most part have a stoicism and attitude to life that is patient, persistent and virtuous.

Virtuous               n      a recurring cycle of events, the result of each being to increase the beneficial effect of the next…

Will and Coral Trout

 

The attitude of the fisherman could be a model for us in the reality of life. Have expectations but do not expect. Do not expect that it will just happen, accept that you will probably fail many times along the way but accept these failures as steps in the ladder of success.

Do not expect that success will come without effort…

Do not expect that the government or the universe owes us a living…

Do not expect that random things will not happen…

Do expect that something’s are beyond our control no matter our best efforts…

A days fishing is always a good day…or a days fishing is worth ten normal days...fishermen’s sayings.

Book writing is a bit like fishing; so much effort and so little reward. The loneliness of the page in front of you as it crowds out the world around is daunting. The reality of failure is truer than the certainty of success. It is the need to create and the drive welling up from somewhere deep within that keeps a writer going.

Word meanings are from the Oxford Dictionary of English Kindle Edition

Note:

Thomas Edison: In his early years, teachers told Edison he was "too stupid to learn anything." Work was no better, as he was fired from his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Of course, all those unsuccessful attempts finally resulted in the design that worked.

http://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/02/16/50-famously-successful-people-who-failed-at-first/