Great reply. See my new [comment here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/comments/1blaf83/comment/kw6fxze/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button). I agree with everything you said. Additionally, I think that we should distinguish it two-fold: * (1) Should we rely on our self-made expectations? (such as, the expectation: "**I need to reduce caring about stuttering to make it easier to execute planned syllables**") * (2) or, Should we stop relying on such expectations? As you already pointed out, the former leads to more fluency, but only if we stop caring about stuttering. After all, we made many "rules" when to initiate syllables (for example, we rely on the expectation: "I need to reduce caring about stuttering to make it easier to execute planned syllables"). So, if we do what our "rule" requires (or demands), then we meet such demands, and thus we don't perceive conflict (or speech errors), and thus we allow syllable initiation (resulting in more fluency). What do you think? But, if we analyze this further.. a non-stutterer doesn't have a "rule", such as: "I need to reduce caring about stuttering, or I need to reduce *anticipation / authority stress / people's judgement* or increase e.g., *confidence*". For a non-stutterer, this whole concept of limiting one's speech performance this way, just sounds silly.. because, why filtering our speech actions when we can just simply execute speech movements immediately, any time, anywhere, without relying on any expectation, in any situation, without waiting out certain (conditional) "rules", without blaming the fact that we didn't meet such (maladaptive) demands, without needing to reduce such 'maladaptive' demands. Conclusion: So, as per the title, let's all engage in an interesting discussion. Why are we continuing with (1) the rest of our stuttering lives (which seems to keep us stuck in such loop)? (rather than stop relying on any expectation altogether?) Let's compare this with many other daily activities such as sleeping, eating or studying. Students in the countryside don't have the expectation right before study or sleeping: "I first need to finish a tv episode before I can really concentrate with studying or before I go to sleep". Students in a big city might have "learned" to rely on all kinds of expectations that they have associated with studying or sleeping (or any other activity). People who stutter have been brainwashed so much IMO, that they believe that "positive factors" are okay, such as "needing confidence", while in reality it only limits our speech performance, adds an unnecessary rule, and keeps us in a loop (as explained above). What do you think? As you already pointed out, you consider "not caring about stuttering" a positive factor because you label it as "lowering expectations" while in reality in actually belongs in "requiring to meet expectations", see the difference? This is of utmost importance, and because of this confusion (or PWS relying on wrong information), they don't see the forest for the trees, in my opinion.