10. The higher the pedestal, the deeper the pit

Dear Marlowe,

Be wary of putting anyone on a pedestal.

The higher our expectations of someone, the more crushing our disappointment should they fall short. This is why people often say there’s a fine line between love and hate — “the higher the pedestal the deeper the pit” as a mentor once told me.

Nobody is perfect. Everybody has strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. We can all get upset, say things we don’t really mean, and make mistakes. One should not expect otherwise, nor judge people too harshly if they do.

Be wary too of anyone who puts you on a pedestal, since should you fall short of their expectations, you’ll end up in the pit yourself. Try not to let people’s expectations of you get out of hand. You can avoid a lot of unnecessary turbulence this way.

Love,

Dad.

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Letters to Marlowe is a personal project to pass on valuable life advice to my son.

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