When was the last time something disappointed you? It may have been a friend who didn’t come through for you as predicted, a product that didn’t function as advertised, or a contractor who didn’t deliver as promised. You may have shaken your head thinking, What’s wrong with people? Or, the consequences may have been so disturbing that they wrecked your day. While it’s easy to condemn others’ behavior when they disappoint you, when was the last time that you examined your own conduct? Do you let people down?

If you’re not aware of the impact that your behavior has on others, you should be. It can weaken your relationships, tarnish your credibility, and even destroy your career.

23 Factors That Lead to Disappointment

While you might believe grand gestures are the sole influencers in a relationship, even minor ones can carry enormous weight. The truth is, maintaining consistent behavior plays a pivotal role in building trust. And, once that trust is compromised, there’s no escaping the negative fallout. Here are 23 ways to disappoint people:

Hint that someone’s not a priority. Do you suck up to people who can help you…and signal that you have no time for others?

Break your promises. Do you view your promises like a contract or fail to follow through on your commitments?

Take advantage of someone. Do you exploit people when they’re vulnerable or do you Treat them fairly?

Think only of yourself. Do you care about others’ needs or focus solely on your own?

Betray someone’s trust. Do you keep people’s secrets close to the vest or do you betray their confidence?

Sweep bad news under the rug. Do you bury mistakes, hoping no one will find out, or do you disclose negative news to those who should know?

Act disloyal. Do you say one thing to your friend’s face and something else behind their back?

Cover up someone’s misdeed. Do you overlook unethical conduct because it aligns with your own interests?

Treat people unfairly. Do you show favoritism or provide everyone with an equal opportunity to succeed?

Fail to pull your weight. Do you do your fair share or expect others to make up for your inaction?

Display hypocritical behavior. Do you walk the talk, or do your actions contradict what you say?

Exhibit lazy behavior. Do you try your best, or submit work that’s careless, disorganized, and incomplete?

Provide one-size-fits-all solutions. Do you tailor your advice to people, or offer them generic, one-size-fits-all recommendations?

Try to pull a fast one. Do you bury important details in the fine print, hoping that no one will take the time to read it?

Treat people poorly. Do you treat people with kindness or are you condescending and disrespectful?

Abandon your friends. Do you stand by people in good times and bad, or are you a fair-weather friend?

Take things for granted. Do you express gratitude to the wonderful people in your life or do you overlook their kindness and generosity?

Emphasize short-term profits. Do you focus on delivering optimum value or do you nickel and dime your customers? 

Use people to get what you want. Are you kind to people every day or only when you need something from them?

Refuse to provide help and support. Do you continually seek favors from others, but fail to reciprocate in kind?

Behave irrationally. Is your behavior consistent and predictable or do you run hot and cold?

Impose your views and values on others. Are you tolerant and open-minded or do you force your beliefs on others?

Give in to temptation. Do you strive to do what’s right or are you quick to compromise your integrity?

You won’t please everyone all the time — nor should you try. There will always be those who feel let down, regardless of your actions. The crucial thing is to always try to do what’s right. It’s one thing to disappoint others and quite another to let yourself down.

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Never Disappoint Yourself

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Additional Reading:
If Your Behavior Is Contagious, What Will People Catch?
Broken Promises, Broken Commitments
What Turns Customers Off?
How to Determine If Someone Is Trustworthy
Do You Do Your Best or Just Enough to Get By?
Have You Ever Been Betrayed?
23 Ways to Spot a Hypocrite

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