How much of human life is lost in waiting.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
High expectations are the key to everything.
—Sam Walton (1918–92) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
Employees tend to live up to their managers expectations of them. If a managers expectations are high, productivity is likely to be excellent.
—Unknown
What is destructive is impatience, haste, expecting too much too fast.
—May Sarton (1912–95) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Novelist
Man’s real life is happy, chiefly because he is ever expecting that it soon will be so.
—Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) American Poet
We find what we expect to find, and we receive what we ask for.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
If you paint in your mind a picture of bright & happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
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 (1924–98) American Motivational Speaker
I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.
—Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957) Greek Novelist, Poet, Dramatist
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
You can’t base your life on other people’s expectations.
—Stevie Wonder (b.1950) American Singer, Songwriter
I know not anything more pleasant, or more instructive, than to compare experience with expectation, or to register from time to time the difference between idea and reality. It is by this kind of observation that we grow daily less liable to be disappointed.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
Satisfaction with an experience depends significantly on our expectations going into it.
—Ben Casnocha (b.1988) American Entrepreneur
Most of the things we do, we do for no better reason than that our father’s have done them or our neighbors do them, and the same is true of a large part than what we suspect of what we think.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) American Jurist, Author
What we anticipate seldom occurs, what we least expected generally happens.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
If you expect nothing, you’re apt to be surprised. You’ll get it.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
The boy who expects every morning to open into a new world finds that today is like yesterday, but he believes tomorrow will be different.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
We tend to get what we expect.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
To expect defeat is nine-tenths of defeat itself.
—Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909) Italian-born American Novelist, Writer
By expectation every day beguiled; dupe of tomorrow even from a child.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.
—Charlotte Bronte (1816–1855) English Novelist, Poet
Good is not good where better is expected
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
To work without attachment is to work without the expectation of reward or fear of any punishment in this world or the next. Work so done is a means to the end, and God is the end.
—Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836–86) Indian Hindu Philosopher
A cathedral, a wave of storm, a dancer’s leap, never turn out to be as high as we had hoped.
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922) French Novelist
Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.
—Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American Author
Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness it is to be expecting evil before it comes.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.
—Patricia Neal (1926–2010) American Stage, Movie Actress