I avoid disappointment altogether by keeping my expectations to a minimum (or having none at all) and always considering the worst possible outcomes in any given situation.

When I was younger, I used to get horribly upset when people or things were not what they seemed.

I felt very let down, hurt, betrayed, etc.

I still feel very hurt and let down if someone is not what I thought. No one likes to feel like they’ve been played.

I do, however, tend to have low expectations of most people and most situations these days, which is kind of sad.

That means not really trusting anyone, taking a long time to get to know people before I have them over to my house as guests, and never really thinking that any relationship is going to be all that meaningful unless I’ve had real reason to think so.

It probably is partly why I don’t go out of my way to make new friends, or commit to things.