92 Inspiring Quotes About Expectations To Navigate Life’s Ups & Downs

Last Updated on February 14, 2024

As humans, we all have expectations. We set expectations for ourselves, for others, and for the world around us. 

We hope for the best, but sometimes our expectations are not met. 

This can be frustrating, disappointing, and even discouraging. But what if we shifted our perspective on expectations? What if we viewed them not as a burden, but as an opportunity for growth and learning? 

That’s where quotes about expectations come in.

Throughout history, great thinkers and leaders have shared their insights on expectations, offering wisdom and guidance on how to navigate the ups and downs of life.

From managing our own expectations to dealing with the expectations of others, there is much to be learned from these quotes.

In this article, I will explore some of the most powerful and thought-provoking quotes about expectations, and offer insights on how to apply them to your own life. 

Whether you’re struggling with unmet expectations or simply looking to gain a new perspective, these quotes can offer valuable guidance and inspiration.

We’ll explore quotes from a variety of sources with the goal to help you see expectations in a new light – not as a burden, but as a source of growth and learning. 

By exploring the insights of some of the world’s most influential thinkers, we can gain a deeper understanding of how to manage our own expectations and navigate the expectations of others.

So join me on this journey through the world of quotes about expectations. 

Together, we’ll explore the power of these insights, and learn how to apply them to our own lives to create a more fulfilling and satisfying existence.

Powerful Inspiring Quotes About Expectations

1. “Most things don’t work out as expected, but what happens instead often turns out to be the good stuff.” ~ Judi Dench

2. “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” ~ Princess Diana

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3. “If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” ~ Michael Jordan

4. “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” ~ Mother Teresa

5. “We tend to get what we expect.” ~ Norman Vincent Peal

6. “Lower your expectations of earth. This isn’t heaven, so don’t expect it to be.” ~ Max Lucado

7. “I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.” ~ Dalai Lama

8. “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.” ~ Orison Swett Marden

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9. “You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.” ~ Paulo Coelho

10. “Unhappiness is best defined as the difference between our talents and our expectations.” ~ Edward de Bono

11. “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” ~ Charles Kettering

12. “There are two ways to be happy: improve your reality, or lower your expectations.” ~ Jodi Picoult , Realistic expectations quotes

13. “Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise.” ~ Alice Walker

14. “My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations.” ~ Michael J. Fox

15. “Well done is better than well said.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

16. “Expectation is the mother of all frustration.” ~ Antonio Banderas

17. “The more I expect, the more unhappy I am going to be. The more I accept, the more serene I am.” ~ Michael J. Fox

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18. “Life is largely a matter of expectation.” ~ Horace

19. “All earthly delights are sweeter in expectation than in enjoyment, but all spiritual pleasures more in fruition than in expectation.” ~ Francois Fenelon

20. “A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.” ~ Patricia Neal

21. “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.” ~ Charles Dickens

22. “Anyone who loves in the expectation of being loved in return is wasting their time.” ~ Paulo Coelho , Expectations quotes in love

23. “It’s when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached.” ~ Mike Huckabee

24. “I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.” ~ Charles Dickens

25. “Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you – all of the expectations, all of the beliefs – and becoming who you are.” ~ Rachel Naomi Remen

26. “Don’t believe in miracles – depend on them.” ~ Laurence J. Peter

27. “Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.” ~ Earl Nightingale

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28. “Life is so constructed, that the event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.” ~ Charlotte Bronte

29. “Loving, hating, having expectations: all these are attachments. Attachment prevents the growth of one’s true being.” ~ Laozi

30. “If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale

31. “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” ~ Confucius

32. “Winners make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the event.” ~ Brian Tracy,

Positive expectations quotes

33. “I’ve always got such high expectations for myself. I’m aware of them, but I can’t relax them.” ~ Mary Decker

34. “We must rediscover the distinction between hope and expectation.” ~ Ivan Illich

35. “You can’t base your life on other people’s expectations.” ~ Stevie Wonder

36. “I was aware that there is an expectation that writers inevitably falter at this stage, that they fail to live up to the promise of their first successful book, that the next book never pleases the way the prior one did. It simply increased my sense of being challenged.” ~ David Guterson

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37. “Buy what’s deliverable, not what could be.” ~ Michael Bloomberg

38. “Give away your love, freely and without expectation. Give it away, and soon your life will be filled with love, and you will have set others on the path of love and peace.” ~ John Robbins

39. “Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried than before–more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.” ~ Charles Dickens

40. “We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

41. “There is hardly any activity, any enterprise, which is started out with such tremendous hopes and expectations, and yet which fails so regularly, as love.” ~ Erich Fromm

42. “But elimination will only happen if all countries – nuclear and non-nuclear states – genuinely work towards this result. Nuclear states must abolish their arsenals, as was indicated by the unanimous opinion of the International Court of Justice, the highest international tribunal. The five nuclear states seem to expect others to refrain from obtaining bombs while at the same time maintaining their own caches of deadly weapons.” ~ C. G. Weeramantry

43. “Future orientation is combined with a notion and expectation of progress, and nothing is impossible.” ~ Alan Dundes

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44. “Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

45. “Life… It tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations.” ~ Richard DeVos

46. “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” ― Alexander Pope

47. “I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep my expectations.”― Bill Watterson

48. “If intelligence were a television set, it would be an early black-and-white model with poor reception, so that much of the picture was gray and the figures on the screen were snowy and indistinct. You could fiddle with the knobs all you wanted, but unless you were careful, what you would see often depended more on what you expected or hoped to see than on what was really there.” ~ Madeleine Albright

49. “A public expectation, it has to be said, not of poetry as such but of political positions variously approvable by mutually disapproving groups.” ~ Seamus Heaney

50. “We don’t want people to have expectations of us, but then we have expectations of everybody else.” ~ Lauryn Hill

51. “Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Don’t over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games. A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness.” ~ Leo Buscaglia, Relationship expectations quotes

52. “Don’t live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.” ~ Wendy Wasserstein

53. “Our life is full of brokenness – broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God’s faithful presence in our lives.” ~ Henri Nouwen

54. “If I had my way, if I was lucky enough, if I could be on the brink my entire life – that great sense of expectation and excitement without the disappointment – that would be the perfect state.” ~ Cate Blanchett

55. “Just know that your expectations are only thoughts in your head, and keep on doing what you do.” ~ Brad Warner

56. “We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.” ~ Voltaire

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57. “Checking the results of a decision against its expectations shows executives what their strengths are, where they need to improve, and where they lack knowledge or information.” ~ Peter Drucker

58. “If you expect nothing from anybody, you’re never disappointed.” ― Sylvia Plath

59. “Americans have an expectation that the Postal Service will abide by its well-known, although unofficial, motto – a commitment to deliver.” ~ John M. McHugh

60. “A youthful mind is seldom totally free from ambition; to curb that, is the first step to contentment since to diminish expectation is to increase enjoyment.” ~ Fanny Burney

61. “The curse of the romantic is a greed for dreams, an intensity of expectation that, in the end, diminishes the reality.” ~ Marya Mannes

62. “Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” ~ Ralph Marston

63. “I have great expectations for the future because the past was highly overrated.” ~ Sylvester Stallone

64. “And I’m working at trying to find a kind of language where I won’t be so easily modulated by expectation.” ~ Kathy Acker

65. “When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.” ― Donald Miller

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66. “Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust.” ~ John F. Akers

67. “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

68. “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.” ― Paulo Coelho

69. “A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect.” ― Jonathan Lockwood Huie

70. “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”― Stephen R. Covey

71. “There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality, or lower your expectations” ― Jodi Picoult

72. “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”-Stephen Hawking

73. “I hope you do not let anyone else’s expectations direct the course of your life.” ― Julianne Donaldson

74. “That was the thing about the world: it wasn’t that things were harder than you thought they were going to be, it was that they were hard in ways that you didn’t expect.” ― Lev Grossman

75. “You can’t expect everyone to have the same dedication as you.” ― Jeff Kinney

76. “Fathers never have exactly the daughters they want because they invent a notion a them that the daughters have to conform to.” – The Woman Destroyed, Simone de Beauvoir

77. “We’re wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize that it isn’t, we start looking around for the real world.” ― Lev Grossman

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78. “You don’t ask nobody to give what they can’t give, or be what they can’t be. You’ve learnt that, you got a head start on heartbreak.”― Jack Farris

79. “Expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.” ― Brandon Sanderson

80. “Set the standard! Stop expecting others to show you love, acceptance, commitment, & respect when you don’t even show that to yourself.” ― Steve Maraboli

81. “You are your own worst enemy. If you can learn to stop expecting impossible perfection, in yourself and others, you may find the happiness that has always eluded you.” ― Lisa Kleypas

82. “Expectations are dangerous when they are both too high and unformed.” – Lionel Shriver

83. “Look. I have a strategy. Why expect anything? If you don’t expect anything, you don’t get disappointed.” – Patricia McCormick

84. “Expect everything so that nothing comes unexpected.” – Norton Juster

85. “Expectation wasn’t just about what people expected of you. It was about what you expected of yourself.” – Brandon Sanderson

86. “There is no joy involved in following others’ expectations of yourself.” – Miriam Toews

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87. “Life was easier when you stopped caring, when you stopped expecting things to get better.” – Cora Carmack

88. “You can’t expect everyone to have the same dedication as you.” – Jeff Kinney

89. “Mrs. Lynde says, ‘Blessed are they who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed.” – L.M. Montgomery

90. “The secret self knows the anguish of our attachments and assures us that letting go of what we think we must have to be happy is the same as letting go of our unhappiness.” – Guy Finley

91. “It is easier to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes.” – Robert E. Lee

92. “Unhappiness lies in that gap between our talents and our expectations.” – Sebastian Horsley

How Can Reading Quotes About Expectations Help You?

Reading quotes about expectations can offer a multitude of benefits. 

Here are a few ways in which they can help you:

1. Gain A New Perspective: Quotes about expectations can offer fresh insights and perspectives on how to manage expectations, both our own and those of others. By gaining a new perspective, we can develop a more positive and productive mindset, and learn how to navigate the challenges of unmet expectations.
2. Find Inspiration And Motivation: Many quotes about expectations are uplifting and inspiring, reminding us that we have the power to overcome obstacles and achieve our goals. Reading these quotes can help us stay motivated and focused on our aspirations, even when things get tough.
3. Develop Resilience: When we face disappointment or setbacks due to unmet expectations, it can be challenging to bounce back. Quotes about expectations can help us develop resilience, by offering guidance on how to stay positive and persevere through adversity.
4. Improve Relationships: Expectations can be a source of tension and conflict in our relationships, whether with friends, family, or coworkers. Reading quotes about expectations can help us understand the perspectives of others and manage our own expectations in a way that promotes healthy and fulfilling relationships.
5. Enhance Self-Awareness: By reflecting on quotes about expectations, we can gain a deeper understanding of our own values, beliefs, and motivations. This self-awareness can help us make more informed decisions about our goals and expectations, and live a more fulfilling and authentic life.

Next Steps

Implementing quotes about expectations into daily life can be done in a variety of ways. 

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Create A Daily Quote Ritual: Start your day by reading a quote about expectations that resonates with you. This can help set a positive tone for your day and remind you of the importance of managing expectations.
2. Journal About Quotes: Write down quotes about expectations that resonate with you and reflect on how they relate to your own life. This can help you develop a deeper understanding of the insights offered by the quote and how you can apply them to your own life.
3. Use Quotes As Affirmations: Choose a quote about expectations that speaks to a specific goal or challenge you’re facing and use it as an affirmation. Repeat the quote to yourself throughout the day to stay motivated and focused on your goal.
4. Share Quotes With Others: Share quotes about expectations with friends, family, or coworkers who may benefit from the wisdom and guidance offered by the quote. This can help create a more positive and supportive environment for everyone.
5. Use Quotes As A Reminder: When facing a difficult situation or challenge, refer to a quote about expectations that offers guidance and perspective. This can help you stay grounded and focused on the bigger picture, rather than getting bogged down by the details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are Quotes About Expectations Important?

Quotes about expectations offer wisdom and guidance on how to manage expectations, both our own and those of others. 

They can provide a new perspective, offer inspiration and motivation, and help us develop resilience and self-awareness. 

By reflecting on quotes about expectations, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationships, and learn how to navigate the challenges of life with grace and positivity.

Where Can I Find Quotes About Expectations?

Quotes about expectations can be found in a variety of sources, including books, online articles, social media, and speeches. 

A quick search online for “quotes about expectations“ will yield many results, and you can also look for quotes from your favorite authors, speakers, and leaders.

How Can I Choose The Right Quote About Expectations For Me?

Choosing the right quote about expectations for you depends on your personal goals, challenges, and values. 

Look for quotes that resonate with you on a deep level and offer insights and guidance that can help you in your life. 

You may want to write down several quotes and reflect on them, or choose one quote that speaks to a specific goal or challenge you’re facing. 

Ultimately, the right quote about expectations for you is one that inspires and motivates you, and helps you live a more fulfilling and authentic life.

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