Expectations

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer."

-- David Thoreau, author, philosopher

Most people would say a nice person is thoughtful, considerate and kind.  But many people fail to realize that a person’s ability to regularly demonstrate these characteristics is often due to circumstances he or she does not control. 

C.S. Lewis, in his landmark book, Mere Christianity, described how a person’s physical conditions form the foundation of their temperament. Advances in medicine have confirmed what C.S. Lewis said. People whose brains and hormones are balanced are often nice, very nice.  And if they were being honest, they would admit that being nice is not that difficult.  On the other hand, people whose brains and bodies do not function as intended often lack self-control, self-confidence, and even friends.

Don’t let the hand you were dealt lead to self-righteousness, nor self-condemnation.  And just as importantly, don’t presume to know the hands dealt to others.