Expectation from people could be the driving force that keeps us going or the reason why some of us gets depressed because of our inability to meeting those expectations.
In this context, I have to think of two quotes from the movie "Fightclub" that go perfectly with your post.
"We use the money we don't have to buy things we don't need to impress people we don't like."and
"We are consumers. We are waste products of general lifestyle obsessions!"Only when you can cut yourself off from the expectations of others are you truly free. Until then, you're just a hamster in an endless hamster wheel.