Expectation States Theory

A theory is a map somebody drew after walking the terrain. Expectation States Theory is a useful map, provided you remember it is not the terrain.

What the theory says, finally, is that people are predictable in their unpredictability. That is useful knowledge. It lets you forgive more and be surprised less.

What this concept offers is a pause — one extra beat between what happens and what you do about it. Civilisation, someone said, is measured in that beat.

A rupee saved loudly impresses people for a day. A rupee invested quietly feeds them for years. The bazaar respects the first; life rewards the second.

Money is a good clerk and a terrible master; the arrangement is entirely up to us. Keep it like a good key: accessible, unlabelled, and used often.