Others expectations from oneself, and disappointment

Following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner (Q): Acharya Ji, how can I detach myself from the disappointment that others feel when I fail their expectations?

Acharya Prashant (AP): The people are disappointed with you because you won’t fulfill their expectations. What effect does their disappointment have upon you?

Q: It makes me feel guilty.

AP: It makes you feel guilty. So first of all, they expect stuff from you, and then you expect yourself to fulfill their expectations. And the funny thing is that the expectations on neither side are being fulfilled. So they are making a mistake, and you are guilty that you could not live up to their mistake. Are you? Do you want to remain guilty?

It’s alright to expect from yourself or from others, but the only right expectation is that you or the other, or anybody would move towards peace, silence, Truth. If that is the expectation, and if that is what you could not live up to, then surely you are entitled to feel disappointed and guilty.

But if the expectation is anything else, then why are you promoting it or subscribing to it?

I repeat, this is the only expectation you must have from yourself or from others —…