Disappointment doesn’t always look like tears. Sometimes, it’s a slow blink. A forced smile. A quiet “It’s fine.” Or worse — no reaction at all. In this deeply human episode, we sit down with Dr. Soha Malik, cognitive psychologist and expert in emotional expression, to explore The Psychology of Letdown — and introduce her groundbreaking framework: The 4 Faces of Disappointment. From personal relationships to workplace burnout, broken promises to unmet expectations, disappointment is one of the most universal yet misunderstood emotions. But what happens in the brain when hope collapses? And why do people respond so differently when things don’t work out? Dr. Soha breaks down her research into four distinct emotional and physiological responses to letdown:
The Collapse – The visible weight of shattered expectation
The Mask – Smiling through the hurt to protect yourself (or others)
The Withdrawal – Emotional shutdown as a survival tactic
The Detachment – When disappointment becomes chronic… and you stop caring altogether