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A piece of wisdom you’ve likely heard is not to expect too much to avoid disappointment, even heartbreak. Reality moves to its own beat and can either exceed those presumptions, if you’re lucky, or throw a monkey wrench on them.
Here are some visual examples of that constant battle between expectations and reality. Some of these photos feature surpassed expectations, which is always a joyful outcome. On the flip side, you will also see images that are likely to induce facepalms and chuckles.
These are some of the top posts from the Expectation vs. Reality subreddit. Enjoy scrolling!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The Brief My 8 Year Old Niece Gave Me For Her Birthday Cake And The Finished Cake
RELATED:
#2
Otterly Impressive Birthday Cake From My Mom!
#3
Cake My Son Requested vs. What We Received
There is nothing wrong with having expectations. However, it becomes a problem when it affects how you run your life. Experts like author and health educator Dr. Elizabeth Scott refer to this as the “Expectations vs. Reality Trap,” which, among other things, can make us less grateful.
“When our expectations outpace reality, it often means we don't appreciate what we do have,” Dr. Scott explained in an article for Very Well Mind, noting that it may lead to comparisons, which is a known thief of joy.
#4
The Way We Advertise Our Jack-O-Lantern Pizzas vs. The Way I Like To Make Them For Customers
#5
The Inspiration And How It Turned Out
#6
I Think It Turned Out Pretty Well!
Dr. Scott brought up an important point: social media has become a catalyst for the significant stress brought on by unmet expectations. Many people tend to do this by comparing their worst days to someone’s best moments, all of which are the product of hard work and fumbling along the way.
“We may not even realize this mismatched comparison. This may be part of why those who spend more time on social media tend to be less happy,” Dr. Scott wrote.
#7
Made My Niece's Birthday Cake (On The Right)
#8
Guard Dog
#9
I Needed A Cartoon Cake And Only Gave This Picture For Inspiration. This Was The Final Product!
On the topic of expectations and happiness, Yale University professor Robb Rutledge says it happens in the little daily moments, like when ordering a meal at a restaurant and bringing preconceived notions to the experience.
“You’re taking a risk there: Your meal could be better than you expected, or it could be worse than you expected,” Rutledge said in an interview with UC Berkley’s Greater Good Magazine.
#10
My Attempt At A Tulip Wreath I Found On Pinterest
#11
This Patch I Ordered Off Amazon
#12
Well, It Fits The Cat
Others may flip the script and have low expectations to cushion the blow of potential disappointment. Rutledge says there is a downside to this mindset, as well.
As he explained, expecting things not to go well may lead to a lack of motivation to try new things or take risks. Rutledge noted, “It’s hard to grow as a person if you avoid any uncertain situation.”
#13
Handsome
Brittania Kelli 15 hours ago
What do you expect people who sell their souls to $atan to look like?
#14
My Mom Made An Elsa Cake
#15
The Birthday Cake My Wife Made For Our Daughter
Apart from avoiding marketing comparisons, especially on social media, or considering what makes you happy, how can we manage our expectations? Dr. Scott shares one essential pro tip: practicing gratitude and emotional acceptance.
As she explained, doing the former makes a person feel more appreciative of what they have, while the latter is about taking negative emotions as they are, rather than suppressing them.
#16
In Japan, One Should Expect To Get What One Expects
General Anaesthesia 16 hours ago
Japanese consumer protection: "Japanese law requires that advertisements, including packaging images, must accurately represent reality. Misleading representations are strictly prohibited under the Act Against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (AUPMR), which is overseen by the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA)."
#17
My Mom Made This Duck Cake; Turned Out Pretty Well
#18
A Portion From The Lawsuit Suing Taco Bell For False Advertising
#19
Ordered From Grocery Store. Cupcake 'Cake' For My Daughters Birthday. Pleasantly Surprised!
#20
Birthday Cake I Asked For vs. What I Got
#22
My Attempt On The Right
#23
I Think We Did A Pretty Decent Job With My Nieces Birthday Cake
#24
Think My Wife Did Very Well On This One
#25
My Wife's McDonald's Cone In The Drive Through Last Night
#26
I Got This Ice Cream Bar From A 7 Eleven Store In Tokyo And It Was Exactly The Same As In Picture. Plus It Was Delicious!
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 18 hours ago
See my other comment- Japan has strict advertising laws and the food must look exactly (or very similar) to how it does on the package. If a cookie on the packaging has lots of chocolate chips, the cookies inside must have lots of chocolate chips.
#27
Netflix
Rick Murray 4 hours ago
To everybody who dislikes Netflix, allow me to introduce you to Amazon Prime. Harsher compression (so REALLY obvious artefacts in those trendy dark scenes), the app is an absolute joke - try finding anything that is not one of their "preferred" trending items, try browsing without the constant upsell of the other stuff you can subscribe to through Prime (like HBO, Canal+, etc) - and they're too cheap to include the original audio in rather a large number of movies, the only available audio is a French dub. Oh, and the search is broken to the point where it'll suggest a kids program about girl witches that's about as tame as it gets when you're looking for "post-apocalyptic horror". Gee, thanks, I guess. There's a reason Netflix gets my eyeballs. As much as it súcks, and it sũcks a lot (see picture above), it doesn't sùck anything like as much as Prime video. Why oh why do the streaming apps have such terrible UIs? 🤷🏻♀️
#28
Merry Christmas Everyone!
#29
...squirrels
#30
Subway Sued For Exaggerating Meat By 200%
#31
What My Sister Asked For vs. What The Salon Did vs. What My Mom Did After The Salon Disaster
#32
My Darth Maul Birthday Cake Ate Too Much Cake
#33
I've Been Staring At This Cutie On Fb Marketplace For Weeks
#34
Tried Making The Momofuku Milk Bar Cake
#35
Taking Pictures Of Your Pets. [oc]
Multa Nocte 20 hours ago
Oh come on. That pup is so cute it looks adorable with any little bit you get!
#36
American Cherry Pie Frapuccino In Japan
#37
Every Time
#38
Don't Think I'll Be Wearing My New Shirt To Work
#39
I Knew I Was Taking A Gamble Ordering From Wish.... But Still, I Couldnt Stop Laughing When My Blanket Finally Arrived!
#40
I Feel Like Majority Of The Applebee’s Menu Is Expectationvsreality
#41
Husband Tried To Make A Dolphin For My Cocktail. It's The Cutest Eel I've Ever Seen
Multa Nocte 20 hours ago
"Do you know what that sound is, Highness? Those are the shrieking eels! If you don't believe me, just wait. They always grow louder when they're about to feed on human flesh! If you swim back now I promise no harm will come to you... I doubt you'll get such an offer from the eels."
#42
These Shoes
#43
I Bought This Bob Ross Chia Pet . . . These Are Not Happy Trees
#45
The Top Is Pottery That My Mom Got In Germany, The Bottom Is My Attempt To Make It In My Ceramics Class ://
#46
Alien Balloons
#47
These Things Never Work Out, Do They?
#48
Ordered A Cake For My Father’s Birthday
#49
My Kid Cried
#51
My Friend Bought This Costume Online And I’ve Been Laughing All Day
#52
Tattoo Artist Ftw
#53
The Crystal Mug My Boyfriend Ordered Me For Our Anniversary vs. What We Actually Received
#54
Halloween Treat Looks Like A Bad Trick
#55
My Wife’s Felting Project
#56
Expectation vs. Reality After A 6-Month Backorder From West Elm
#57
Bought Tickets To See Creed In Concert. Saw Creed In Concert!
Zig Zag Wanderer 15 hours ago
Bought tickets to see AC/DC in concert. Saw a 74 year old guitarist with grey hair and a schoolboy uniform, a deaf Geordie who can't really sing any more, 3 session musicians (basically), and they needed 2 minutes between each song for a breather. It was fricking awesome! Angus is still 'the man' at 74. A living legend.
#58
What Scientists Predicted The Black Hole Would Look Like vs. How It Actually Looks
#59
Mildly Disappointed But Very Amused
#60
The Cake I Ordered vs. What I Got
Note: this post originally had 94 images. It’s been shortened to the top 60 images based on user votes.
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What do you think ?
Multa Nocte 20 hours ago
These were fun. The good ones were great and the terrible ones were pretty spectacularly terrible.
Multa Nocte 20 hours ago
These were fun. The good ones were great and the terrible ones were pretty spectacularly terrible.
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