What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
—Woody Allen (b.1935) American Film Actor, Director
What is destructive is impatience, haste, expecting too much too fast.
—May Sarton (1912–95) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Novelist
The sudden disappointment of a hope leaves a scar which the ultimate fulfilment of that hope never entirely removes.
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) English Novelist, Poet
Life … tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations.
—Richard DeVos (1926–2018) American Businessman, Philanthropist
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
I have no expectation of making a hit every time I come to bat.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
Life is largely a matter of expectation.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
We will always tend to fulfill our own expectation of ourselves.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
We could hardly believe that after so many ordeals, after all the trials of modern skepticism, there was still so much left in our souls to destroy.
—Alexander Herzen (1812–70) Russian Revolutionary, Writer
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Satisfaction with an experience depends significantly on our expectations going into it.
—Ben Casnocha (b.1988) American Entrepreneur
The world is full of abundance and opportunity, but far too many people come to the fountain of life with a sieve instead of a tank car, teaspoon instead of a steam shovel. They expect little and as a result they get little.
—Ben Sweetland
We expect everything and are prepared for nothing.
—Sophie Swetchine (1782–1857) Russian Mystic, Writer
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.
—William Congreve (1670–1729) English Playwright, Poet
I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader, Civil Rights Leader, Philosopher, Author
We should expect the best and the worst of mankind, as from the weather.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
Employees tend to live up to their managers expectations of them. If a managers expectations are high, productivity is likely to be excellent.
—Unknown
Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life, I find.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
I saw that all beings are fated to happiness: action is not life, but a way of wasting some force, an enervation. Morality is the weakness of the brain.
—Arthur Rimbaud (1854–91) French Poet, Adventurer
Real life is, to most men … a perpetual compromise between the ideal and the possible.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
To expect defeat is nine-tenths of defeat itself.
—Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909) Italian-born American Novelist, Writer
It is generally known, that he who expects much will be often disappointed; yet disappointment seldom cures us of expectation, or has any effect other than that of producing a moral sentence or peevish exclamation.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Letters are expectation packaged in an envelope.
—Shana Alexander (1925–2005) American Journalist, Editor, Author
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
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
We tend to get what we expect.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Winner expects to win in advance. Life is a self-fulfilling prophesy.
—Indian Proverb
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
If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
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
Our circumstances answer to our expectations and the demand of our natures.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
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 (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
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
Your expectations opens or closes the doors of your supply, If you expect grand things, and work honestly for them, they will come to you, your supply will correspond with your expectation.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
We find what we expect to find, and we receive what we ask for.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
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
We love to expect, and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Hope is itself a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
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
You can’t base your life on other people’s expectations.
—Stevie Wonder (b.1950) American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Activist
Good is not good, when better is expected.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
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 (1564–1616) British Playwright
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
Now it is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
In our pursuit of the things of this world, we usually prevent enjoyment by expectation; we anticipate our happiness, and eat out the heart and sweetness of worldly pleasures by delightful forethoughts of them; so that when we come to possess them, they do not answer the expectation, nor satisfy the desires which were raised about them, and they vanish into nothing.
—John Tillotson