Expectations and hope

There is a difference between expectations and hope. I didn't really expected it to happen - it wouldn't be reasonable - but deep down I hoped it would. More often than not, when there's such a mismatch between expectations and hope, it will be hope losing it. This is not pessimism, mind you; the fact is, if one expects something that isn't even remotely likely, hope is nothing but the swiftest way to bitter delusion.