The Stress of Absurd Expectations

Shawn Maxam’s secret to less stress is lowered expectations.

I am, as I’ve said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.

-Billy Joel

I think we often take the incompetence of other people too personally. We believe the world has a secret vendetta against us and that people are doing everything within their own personal powers to sabotage our lives. It takes a compelling mix of arrogance and neurosis to believe that murphy’s law was created specifically for you.

Generally and sadly people are just performing their job or duties at an average or mediocre level. The cable guy isn’t the best rated cable technician. Your bus driver didn’t win multiple awards for driving ability. Most of the people you encounter in retail stores are teenagers or folks who don’t plan on making their job as door greeter at The Gap into a career.

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So it makes no sense to get upset, frustrated and stressed when you encounter individuals who don’t seem to be the Michael Jordan (the best ever) at their jobs. This outlook even pertains to your own family. Maybe your husband will always do a crappy job at washing the dishes or your sister will always burn the rice. Why get mad to the point where of utter disappointment and bewilderment. If the tables were turned I can assume the same could be said about you regarding many tasks. You aren’t that good at laundry and installing bookshelves.

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Even for the more important life endeavors many of the people who will offer their services to you e.g. professors, accountants, lawyers and so forth won’t be the worst and or the best at what they do. They will be startling decent. Most of us are “B” students in life. So just do your peers and loved ones a favor and grade them on a curve.