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Bored Panda

Entertainment

Donata Ruzgaitė

65 Side-By-Side Pics Showing How Disappointing Reality Is

What you want and what you think you’ll get won’t always neatly match up with reality. Many of us instinctively understand this. However, our expectations are sometimes dashed in such an epic fashion that we can’t help but be disappointed, somewhat impressed, and want to share that experience with others.

We’ve collected some of the biggest, funniest, and most dramatic expectation vs. reality fails to show you just how ridiculously bad things can get. Keep scrolling for Bored Panda’s curated list of comparison pics.

#1 The Great American Sugar Horse Moves On To Greener Pastures, In Search Of The Last Box Of Twinkies

#2 Guard Dog

#3 My Wife’s Felting Project

Getting your expectations ‘right’ is tougher than it sounds. If your expectations are too unrealistic, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, no matter how good the results (objectively) are.

On the flip side, if you set your expectations too low, then you won’t be as disappointed when things go wrong, but you’ll end up settling for less than you’re worth.

It’s good and healthy to dream and hope, but you have to balance it all out with a big dollop of realism.

Ideally, you want to be a realistic optimist. That’s someone who is resilient and proactive. You accept the challenges and risks you face while also being confident in your ability to overcome them for the sake of a better, brighter, more positive future. It’s much more practical than being an over-the-top optimist and more enjoyable than being a pure pessimist.

#4 What Was Advertised vs. What I Got

#5 My Wife’s Cinnamon Rolls vs. My Cinnamon Rolls [homemade]

#6 Expectation vs. Reality

If your expectations are what you think will happen, reality is the truth of what actually occurs. The fact is that these two things often don’t match up, and this can lead to you feeling unhappy, frustrated, angry, or discontent.

According to Verywell Mind, social media can make your expectations more unrealistic than they would otherwise be. That's because you’re bombarded with seemingly ‘perfect,’ filtered, highly curated moments from strangers’ lives. So, you end up comparing some of your worst moments in life with other people’s staged ‘best’ moments.

#7 What I Asked For - And How It Turned Out

#8 Girlfriend Tried To Recreate A Photo She Saw Online With Our Cat

#9 My Kid Cried

“It's fine to have hopes - in fact, optimism in the face of challenges or changes can be a good thing. But having a very fixed idea of exactly what should happen or what needs to happen in order for you to be happy can lead to even more disappointment than if you faced the situation with an open mind and the understanding that things might not work out the precise way you wanted,” Hannah Owens, LMSW, explains.

#10 What I Thought I Ordered vs. What We Got. Ordered 21 Stems Got 10. 1 Smashed 1 Broken

#11 Growing Hydrangeas Expectations vs. Reality

#12 Ordered A Cake For My Father’s Birthday

The danger is that, in some situations, we’re so attached to our expectations of what reality should be like that we ignore what’s happening right in front of us.

This can, unfortunately, have negative consequences in our lives. It can prevent us from making decisions or taking actions that would serve our best interests.

#13 This Sustainable Paper Bottle Is In Fact A Plastic Bottle

#14 I Fell For It

#15 This Polish Hotel's Picture On Trivago vs. In Real Life

Broadly speaking, people are inaccurate when it comes to predicting how they will feel and how (un)happy they will be in various situations.

“This means that our expectations might cause us to think that achieving certain goals will bring joy and contentment, but because these predictions are often wrong, we might pursue the wrong goals.”

#16 Tattoo Stencil vs. Reality. No They Didn't Own Up

#17 The Colour I Asked For vs. The Colour I Got

#18 Expectations vs. Reality

One way to stay grounded and realistic and keep our expectations in check is to slow down and focus on gratitude. When you start appreciating what you do have, instead of expecting more or thinking about what you don’t have, you enjoy life more, leading to greater well-being and more happiness.

Moreover, when you keep your expectations more grounded instead of letting them outpace reality, you avoid considerable stress.

#19 Sunflower Expectations vs. Reality

#20 Expectation vs. Reality

#21 Expectations vs. Reality

Managing your expectations is impossible without first becoming aware of them. Try to think about where your expectations come from and to what extent they line up with objective reality.

Meanwhile, whenever you feel disappointed that things didn’t pan out quite like you wanted them to, think about whether your hopes were realistic in the first place. Then, make a plan on how to set more realistic expectations for the future.

#22 Expectation Versus Reality

#23 I Way Over-Estimated My Abilities

#24 Mirror Cake. Tried Baking This Cake For The First Time

Moreover, you have to consider the fact that you may be vastly overestimating how happy you will be once you have the things you want. No, it’s not ‘wrong’ to want more. But you can enjoy life much more if you savor the things, opportunities, and relationships that you already have.

Meanwhile, actively avoid comparing yourself to others. And don’t repress your disappointment whenever you feel it. It’s healthier to accept your emotions as they arise, even if they’re not always accurate representations of reality.

#25 Mega Starmie Cosplay Disappointment. Was Hoping To Join The Starmie Army But I Don't Know About This One

#26 Expectations vs. Reality

First time growing zinnias—here's what I planted, and here’s what I grew. Am I doing something wrong? This is one of the first few just now coming in, so maybe the others will be fluffier.