Anticipation and Achievement

Let’s be honest. The highs of anticipation and expectation are the best anyone will get out of life, not to mention death. No experience, event, action, or consequence ever lives up to its expectation, especially on the positive side, not work or love, nor physical, mental, or spiritual pleasures of any kind. Even misery has its limits. There seems to be a high concentration of Dopamine associated with anticipated gains, rewards, pleasures; and yes even with the absolute ‘pits’ as well, which tells me it’s all mental anyway, a direct result of your brain’s electro-biochemistry in connection with the rest of our electro-biochemical environment.

Whether we live in the future, that is anticipating some action, event, or condition, or dwell on the past, or live in the present, the here and now. The promised fulfillment of such states of mind always leaves you with the feeling that it’s not quite ‘it’. Something is missing. It might be absolutely great, but something will still seem to be missing… never quite complete, as anticipated or hoped for. And if not immediately, then shortly thereafter.

Most think the problem is with themselves, that if they adjusted their expectations, or simply lived in the moment with no expectations, that somehow the resulting fulfillment would be complete. I suspect that that kind of ‘complete fulfillment’ is like the proverbial ‘fountain of youth’ and only exists in our fantasies. So, reality can never match expectations.

What does this say for those who are adamant that fulfillment of expectations will be accomplished in ‘the next life’, for which there is absolutely no evidence? Surely, the reality we experience every day has volumes to say about anticipation of being ‘born again’ and the requisite expectations thereof.

I think the truth is clear. Humans will never ever be completely happy and fulfilled. It’s in the nature of the beast. Those who claim that they are, are either engaged in wishful thinking, intentional liars, or self deluded.

So, enjoy your anticipations and expectations as long as they last. That’s the best, most ardent, most intensive life ever gets. The rest is mostly feelings of lack, loss, or even regret. I guess it’s possible to not feel regret, but never true satisfaction or completion, except perhaps at death. We’ll know when we get there.

–LE