When I expect something to happen successfully (a sale, a deal, a date… any outcome), more often than not it works out that way.
When I expect failure, he usually comes my way.
Why?
The source of my positive expectation comes from the intuitive knowledge that all the foundations for the outcome are in place. It is therefore unlikely, though not impossible, that failure will happen.
Tricking perception so I expect a successful outcome can in some situations make me act as if all foundations were in place, and hence trigger the “he must act this way for a reason” response in the other person involved. However this framing is often times not enough for persuassion. Even worse, it depends on human misperception of reality – hardly a grounded strategy.
The best way to make our expectations positive is by BUILDING ALL OR MOST FOUNDATIONS necessary to make that assumption a reasonable expectation.
Positive or Negative Expectation = Belief X Actual Circumstances
Eg. Positive expectation of striking the deal = Belief that my offer is valuable for both parties X The offer being actually valuable for both parties
Instead of trying to trick your own beliefs in order to persuade others (the best liars are those who believe their own lies), focus on building all the necessary conditions so that the succesful outcome becomes inevitable. This will naturally change your belief into a positive expectation, for the positive outcome will then become, objectively, the most probable result.
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