--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we fail to live up to our own…" description: "\"“When we fail to live up to our own expectations, we’ll despair. When we fail to live up to the expectations of others, we’ll become resentful.”\" — Byr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/byron-forrest-yawn-48008_quote_when-we-fail-to-live-up-to-our-own-expec_1020898.jpg" --- # When we fail to live up to our own expectations, we’ll… ![“When we fail to live up to our own expectations, we’ll despair. When we fail to live up to the expectations of others, we’ll become resentful.” quote by Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/byron-forrest-yawn-48008_quote_when-we-fail-to-live-up-to-our-own-expec_1020898.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/byron-forrest-yawn-48008_quote_when-we-fail-to-live-up-to-our-own-expec_1020898.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/byron-forrest-yawn-48008_quote_when-we-fail-to-live-up-to-our-own-expec_1020898.jpg) > ““When we fail to live up to our own expectations, we’ll despair. When we fail to live up to the expectations of others, we’ll become resentful.”” [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Failing personal or external expectations leads to despair or resentment, highlighting the emotional cost of unmet standards. **In simple terms:** Unmet expectations cause sadness or bitterness. Key Takeaway Align expectations with reality. Themes self‑esteem expectations emotional health Mood reflective concerned Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal goals - relationships - work performance - social interactions Key Concepts psychology self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can you set realistic expectations? - What steps reduce resentment? A Different Perspective May overlook external factors influencing outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) ## Related quotes > [Many succumb to despair and fail without realizing that they already possess all the tools needed to acquire great wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/many-succumb-to-despair-and-fail-without-realizing-that-they-already/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [“I do my thing, and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-perls/i-do-my-thing-and-you-do-your-thing-i-am-not-in-this-world-to-live-up/) Fritz Perls > [I will try to live up to expectations of people; will present report card to people in 2019.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/i-will-try-to-live-up-to-expectations-of-people-will-present-report/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [“I don't like to do what people expect. Why should I live up to their expectations instead of my own?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-don-t-like-to-do-what-people-expect-why-should-i-live-up-to-their/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You don't have to live up to anyone's expectations, just be the best you can be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-don-t-have-to-live-up-to-anyone-s-expectations-just-be-the-best/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Fans always have an opinion of their own. We only try to live up to their expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akhil-akkineni/fans-always-have-an-opinion-of-their-own-we-only-try-to-live-up-to/) [Akhil Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akhil-akkineni/) > [You cannot live with expectations because life has no obligation to fulfill your desires. You can live with an open heart, but you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/you-cannot-live-with-expectations-because-life-has-no-obligation-to/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [You can never live up to everyone's expectations, but you can live up to your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varsha-sharma/you-can-never-live-up-to-everyone-s-expectations-but-you-can-live-up/) [Varsha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varsha-sharma/) > [I had such high expectations of myself. I was going to be the best mother, the best housewife, the best entertainer, the best nurse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/i-had-such-high-expectations-of-myself-i-was-going-to-be-the-best/) [Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/) > [Everything this series is being built up to be - I think it's going to live up to those expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hayden/everything-this-series-is-being-built-up-to-be-i-think-it-s-going-to/) [Matthew Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hayden/) > [“All other things being equal, you will generally live up or down to expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dilworth/all-other-things-being-equal-you-will-generally-live-up-or-down-to/) Mark Dilworth > [I can't think of anything worse, really, than to try to live up to someone else's expectations of what you should be. You don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chapman/i-can-t-think-of-anything-worse-really-than-to-try-to-live-up-to/) [Tracy Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chapman/) > [“we don’t have to live up to the expectations of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-foster/we-don-t-have-to-live-up-to-the-expectations-of-others/) [Melissa Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-foster/) > [Well, I'm not here to live up to anyone else's expectations-I'm here to live up to mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/well-i-m-not-here-to-live-up-to-anyone-else-s-expectations-i-m-here/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [I do my thing and you do yours. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-my-thing-and-you-do-yours-i-am-not-in-this-world-to-live-up-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Byron Forrest Yawn > [“Parenting is about addressing heart issues. Only the power of God through the gospel has the power to change your children’s hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-forrest-yawn/parenting-is-about-addressing-heart-issues-only-the-power-of-god/) [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) > [“Sons have an instinct to cover their fathers’ failures. Sons love their dads even when their dads did not love them. It’s part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-forrest-yawn/sons-have-an-instinct-to-cover-their-fathers-failures-sons-love-their/) [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) > [“Someone once wrote that our best friends are those who make us most afraid to sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-forrest-yawn/someone-once-wrote-that-our-best-friends-are-those-who-make-us-most/) [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) > [“We have to help them understand who they are before they can understand what they should do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-forrest-yawn/we-have-to-help-them-understand-who-they-are-before-they-can/) [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) > [“Most men are controlled by what others think of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-forrest-yawn/most-men-are-controlled-by-what-others-think-of-them/) [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) > [“Humble godly men are the devil’s worst enemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-forrest-yawn/humble-godly-men-are-the-devil-s-worst-enemy/) [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) > [“Sin is intentional and irrational at the same time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-forrest-yawn/sin-is-intentional-and-irrational-at-the-same-time/) [Byron Forrest Yawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) [Explore all 8 Byron Forrest Yawn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-forrest-yawn/) ## More Despair quotes > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. It's the part drawn to hope, that will not give in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/your-spirit-is-the-part-of-you-that-seeks-meaning-and-purpose-it-s/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-skin-and-shell-of-things-though-fair-are-not-thy-wish-nor-prayer/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [“A fine setting for a fit of despair,” it occurred to him, “if I were only standing here by accident instead of design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/a-fine-setting-for-a-fit-of-despair-it-occurred-to-him-if-i-were-only/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Enough for this bow & arrow. It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) Louaiq8 > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Do not consider despair as a thick and high wall standing on your way; it is just a darkness and you can still walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-not-consider-despair-as-a-thick-and-high-wall-standing-on-your-way/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. It is, one is told, the unforgivable sin, but it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/despair-is-the-price-one-pays-for-setting-oneself-an-impossible-aim/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [A speculative despair is unpardonable where it our duty to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-speculative-despair-is-unpardonable-where-it-our-duty-to-act/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Browse all 3,181 Despair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When we fail to live up to our own expectations, we’ll despair. 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