Expectations are peculiar things. Inextricably tied to the future — what we think will happen, whether near or far — they can result in a whole range of emotional outcomes, from happiness and relief to surprise or disappointment. Our own expectations may or may not be realistic, which in turn drives the possibility of certain results.
The same is true for the expectations placed upon us by others. People often expect us to be a certain way or do certain things, and how we handle these expectations can make us feel anything from highly motivated to concerned or stressed.
The fuzzy logic behind human expectations makes them tricky, capricious, and potentially damaging things. But expectations can also drive us to greatness: If we expect nothing from ourselves or others, life can quickly become stagnant. Balancing expectations is therefore a hugely important part of our lives.
Here are 18 quotes about expectations from philosophers, psychologists, poets, and more.
The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.Confucius
Oft expectation fails, and most oft there / Where most it promises, and oft it hits / Where hope is coldest and despair most fits.William Shakespeare
’Tis expectation makes a blessing dear: / It were not heaven, if we knew what it were.Sir John Suckling
We love to expect; and, when expectation is disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.Samuel Johnson
There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another: if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better; we find comfort somewhere.Jane Austen
Life is so constructed, that the event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.Charlotte Brontë
High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.Charles F. Kettering
To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves — there lies the great, the singular power of self-respect.Joan Didion
A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment.Douglas Adams
I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations and you're not in this world to live up to mine.Bruce Lee
Unhappiness is best defined as the difference between our talents and our expectations.Edward de Bono
Your happiness grows in direct proportion to your acceptance and in inverse proportion to your expectations.Michael J. Fox
He was swimming in a sea of other people’s expectations. Men had drowned in seas like that.Robert Jordan
If we're stuck with having expectations, there's a very good reason to embrace positive ones: It's that we often create what we anticipate.Martha Beck
Just because it's not what you were expecting, doesn't mean it's not everything you need right now.Paulo Coelho
I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values — and follow my own moral compass — then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.Michelle Obama
In our own lives, having a mind-set of expecting to win increases our odds of winning. It helps us get better results … It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.Stephen Covey
Be realistic with your expectations. I mean, I'd really like to cuddle a unicorn, but it ain’t going to happen. Know yourself and aim for the aimable … you’ll save yourself quantities of disappointment.India Knight
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