Why Misalignment Hurts More Than Mistakes
Disappointment is a uniquely human response that arises when reality falls short of our hopes or expectations—what van Dijk (1999)1 describes as the “non-fulfilment of an expectation.” Unlike regret, which stems from poor choices, disappointment reflects expectancy violations and is especially potent in interpersonal contexts where we assume others share our goals or standards (Rink & Ellemers, 20072; sourced from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology). When unmet expectations occur in collaboration—such as between homeowners and contractors—negative emotions intensify, leading to mistrust or disengagement. WallyLogs directly addresses this psychological dynamic by providing a structured platform for transparent communication, documentation, and progress tracking. In doing so, it reduces the destructive impact of hidden expectation gaps and reframes disappointment from an inevitable outcome into a preventable communication issue.