Plain Bagel With Herb and Garlic Cream Cheese

Often for breakfast I will stop by Tim Horton's for a plain bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese. I prefer it untoasted. So, I will go up to the cashier and order a plain bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese. If they ask if I want it toasted, I say "No thank you." Sometimes they don't ask.

About a third of the time I get a toasted bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese. Often they punch it in to toast the bagel without asking or often the person preparing the bagel toasts it anyway.

This all happens because of a phenomenon called expectancy.

Most people like their bagel toasted so the staff expect all bagels will be toasted. Because they expect that end state, they toast every bagel without realizing that some are not to be toasted.

The world will probably not be thrown off its axis and rocket out to the far reaches of the galaxy because my bagel was toasted, however there are tasks that are performed on a routine basis that expectancy can be rather dangerous.

Dilligence is the only way to defeat expectancy. Do it right every time and you will get the desired outcome. Don't expect anything to be how it was. If you are not sure, always confirm.

We all fall into the expectancy trap from time to time. It is part of being human. It often saves time, that's why it is so attractive.

That is also why I eat so many toasted plain bagels with herb and garlic cream cheese.