Expecting reality does not mean accepting it: On small incremental change

I think there’s a difference between expecting reality and accepting it.

My favorite teacher believed in treating people like who you know they could be, not who they are. She kept her expectations reasonable. She knew how to be fair. But while she understood the current reality of each of her students? She didn’t accept that ceiling for the long term.

She pushed for growth. And she helped create so much of it.

As I aspire to be more like her, here are some thoughts about small incremental change in the dog world.

TLDR summary

• We can be reasonable about what the world around us is like while still taking efforts to make it a little bit better.

• No, we can’t expect other dog owners or members of the public to cater to us… but yes, it’s fair to have emotional responses to difficult events.

• There is a huge spectrum between “being bitter about everything all the time” and “saying anything goes because we don’t think we can make a difference”.

• The most productive balance on that spectrum will vary …