🎙 Episode 19: Should You Have High Expectations of Others?
Balancing hope with reality in our relationships.

🔸 This week, Samar makes her first written contribution to the Personal Context is Key series, sparking a conversation on a deeply relatable question: Should we set high expectations of others—or keep them low to avoid disappointment?
🔸 Samar shares her default stance of keeping expectations low as a shield against repeated disappointment, a mindset shaped by personal experiences and advice passed down from family and friends.
🔸 Wafa offers the opposite view: setting higher expectations can affirm the value of relationships, strengthen bonds, and encourage mutual responsibility.
🔸 Together, they explore the gray space in between: when lowering expectations preserves relationships (especially with those lacking capacity), and when keeping them too low leads to disengagement or conditional love.

🔸 They also dive into:
• How expectations shape the way we treat others—and how they treat us in return
• The defensive vs. ego-driven sides of low expectations
• Close vs. distant relationships: when lowering expectations saves them, and when it harms them
• Misalignment of expectations as the root of many conflicts in friendships, family, and marriages
• Why communication is critical: speaking needs aloud instead of assuming others should know
• The difference between standards and expectations, and how clarifying your standards first can reset relationships

💡 Key Takeaways:
• Both high and low expectations can be useful, depending on context and closeness.
• Consistently high expectations risk draining relationships; consistently low expectations risk disengagement.
• Honest communication and clarified standards are the foundation for setting fair expectations.
• Protecting relationships often means adjusting expectations—or dropping them altogether.

📖 Read the full article: 19. Should You Have High Expectations of Others? — Personal Context is Key | LinkedIn

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