Three More paragraphs on Anticipation

Anticipation, both good and bad, is a large part of our lives. I was dreading something last week. Maybe dread is the wrong word, but I was definitely not looking forward to it. I convinced myself that it wasn't going to be that bad but it ended up being worse than I expected. Which got me thinking, is it worse to anticipate something to not be bad and having it end up being worse than you expected? Or is it worse to dread something in the future and then have it not be as bad as you expected?

Take going to the dentist, for example. I HATE going to the dentist. Always have. A couple years back I had to get a filling. I was so stressed about it that I couldn't think of anything else for weeks. I was convinced that it was going to be a terrible, painful experience. The day arrived and it was definitely uncomfortable, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. 

I say that it's worse to dread something and have it be better than expected, because the dread is the hardest part. If you think something isn't going to be bad, you're not dreading it so you're not as stressed about it. And if it ends up being worse than expected, well, that sucks, but at least you weren't as stressed about it beforehand. Stressing about something is the worst. I can't stand being preoccupied about something that I am not looking forward to. If it ends up being less stressful than I expected, that's great and all but the stress energy has already been expended.