Disappointment. What does that mean to us? Usually it is when one sets their goals at point X, but the result [Z] ends up being Z = X – Y [where Z is less than X] is how an utilitarian would see the situation. There are two ways to fix this equation so disappointment will never occur. We can decrease X so that there is less of a chance of being less than Z, in result lowering our expectations. Or we can decrease Y to a point where it does not exist, in process making the right decisions every step of the way.
Last night, my basketball team lost our weekly game 88-18. That is a 70 point differential. Our team has never scored 70 points combined in any two games. After the game, the team was really down and frustrated. I would have been a year ago too, but I asked everyone to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. I pointed out that their smallest guy in their starting lineup is the same size as our center and with that stipulation we should have lowered our X [expectations]. Let’s try this utilitarian model out:
X = points we would win or lose by
Y = actual point difference
Before the game started, X would have been a fair number that we would expect to win by [insight: our team has not won a game in 3 seasons], but in our case it was -20. If we only lost by 20 points, it would have been success in my eyes. Y was -70, because we got full court pressed before the first inbound even occurred. So let’s plug and chug:
X = -20
Y = -70
Z < -20 -70
Z = -90
Z [-90] is less than X [-20]
Statement is true. We have a situation where disappointment occurs.
Our two solutions to prevent disappointment are pretty clear in this case. We could expect to lose by more than 20 points thus decreasing X or we could have played better also decreasing Y. This model can be applied to any event in life, not just sports. If frustration and disappointment plagues your life, maybe it is time to lower your expectations, or STEP UP.
With eBay’s new policies attempting to make the marketplace better for buyers, I have had no choice but to lower my expectations AND making better decisions regarding my online sales. eBay has implemented a new DSR [Detailed Seller Rating] system where buyers rate the seller on 4 criteria, if any one of your four ratings are under the eBay “average,” eBay will suspend your account and take away your PowerSeller status without an explanation. Now this might sound fair on paper, because who would want a below average seller on their marketplace. But we need to think about how an average is determined; you take the summation of the whole group and divide it by the number of samples. So, with this simple mathematical formula, HALF of all users are under the average. That is what averages tell us right? Where the middle is.
I know that this cannot be how the new system works, because that would be ludicrous. But I got this information directly from my FORMER PowerSeller rep during one of our heated calls. I know he is literate because he has been reading off of a pdf to me for the past 10 years. I tried repeatedly for him to really think of what he is telling me and how it makes no sense and how he should ask his direct supervisor about the new policies. Every time he came back to the phone, the answer was: Your DSR ratings are under the average.
In reality, eBay has set the acceptable level for DSR’s at 4.4, this in result punishes sellers for getting 4’s, which are said to reflect “good” service and just not “very good” service. Thus for every four times a seller gets a 4, s/he has to make sure they get six 5’s. This is not a very settling feeling to live with when this system really has no check or balance. The buyer now has all of the power in the world as there are no repercussions for their actions. This system is not only a joke, but cannot be a long term solution to eBay’s attempt of improving buying experience; because pretty soon there will be nothing left to buy.
By the way, I submitted my first page to Wigix. I hope it is approved soon and I can have an item for sale!
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