This is meant on a personal level, not societal.

I'm interested in the answers here more than the other messageboards I use, as they are have a predominantly UK userbase. One thing about these isles is that success is attributed to negative social aspects, so is therefore not really sought by a vast amount of people. In fact, they almost fear it in case people won't like them.

Is this similar in other parts of the world? Do you see yourself becoming successful in whatever way you define it, using those expectations to drive you on?

Or do you have the negative side, where people expect you to fail (for want of a better word) and you've pretty much got into that way of thinking as well?

"Do you see yourself becoming successful in whatever way you define it, using those expectations to drive you on? "

Yes - this is more my view

I have never believed in the notion that "you can do anything you put your mind to", "you just have to want something hard enough", that kind of thing.

I think I adjust my expectations to what I personally think is achievable, realisticly. Sometimes that serves me well (by not getting hopes up, you're often pleasantly surprised), sometimes it's to my detriment ( as it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy).

i am a very driven and determined person, i don't give-up easily, if i have a goal i want to reach, i'll keep working towards it. i do feel like if you really set your mind on something and work as hard as you can to obtain it, then it CAN happen.

My life is usually more affected by other people's expectations in life, generally some pie-in-the-sky fantasy of what life is "supposed to be" like.

I expect nothing out of life. There are things I hope for, but I don't count on them. If I want them, I work for them. I've conditioned myself to be happy with what I've got at the moment. Sometimes that works out well it generally doesn't lead to disappointment. Unless someone else has some unrealistic expectations built on some romantic notion of "life" and then it comes crashing down for them or for me. It's happened a few times... with lovers, family, friends, employers, etc.

I just live for the moment or the immediate future. That's all you can expect. Nothing is ever going to turn out the way you expect it to.

alxndrstff said:

I think that its an equal mix of both concepts....I've personally experienced and seen how the expectation of success IS the driving force behind eventual success...drill instructors tend to be motivational like that....one thing I've tried to live by and impart to my troops is the simple idea that if you visualize success, and put in the time and effort for that success, you will be successful 9 out of 10 times....