Humans aren't machines. In my experience it's very hard to actually have universally low expectations and be content with them in the long run. Usually people who say that either have low expectations in only certain areas (ie: material wealth, etc.) or are bottling up resentment (ie: the classic midlife crisis).
That's the point! It's very hard to have small expectations especially if you see your friends, colleagues or generally other people to 'be better' or 'have more', but if you can not care about this, you'll be happy. It is against human nature, though.
I'm literally in extensive therapy because of the huge emotional and psychic damage that having low expectations for everything has caused. Literally immense self-sabotage. Huge feelings of hopelessness and inability to do basic work without feeling suicidal because I expect the worse.
So no, it isn't always the opposite. For many of us, our pessimistic attitude has been extremely damaging.
Someone else here said
> You have control over the inputs but not the outcomes :)
I can't speak for others, but for me personally, having low expectations has caused me to become lackadaisical or even destructive with my inputs. What is the point if it will just go wrong?
EDIT: I can't reply because /u/dang has blocked my account again
> That... isn't what I mean by low expectations? For me, it means to be grateful for what you've got, to question feelings of envy and to not feel that you deserve something.
That's called "gratitude", not "low expectations"
"Low expectations" means you expect low, i.e. bad. It's pessimism.
That... isn't what I mean by low expectations? For me, it means to be grateful for what you've got, to question feelings of envy and to not feel that you deserve something. Definitely not to be pessimistic about anything, quite the contrary - be optimistic that you'll be positively surprised!
Regardless of all that I hope you work out your depression, it sucks.
the secret of a happy life is trying to be happy, whatever that means to you, and making it, the secret of a sad life is trying to be happy and failing at it.