--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you constantly expect the worst from…" description: "\"“If you constantly expect the worst from someone, that’s probably what you’re going to get.”\" — Courtney Cole" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37d/courtney-cole-4223_expect_if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from_3225031.jpg" --- # If you constantly expect the worst from someone, that’s… ![“If you constantly expect the worst from someone, that’s probably what you’re going to get.” quote by Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37d/courtney-cole-4223_expect_if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from_3225031.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37d/courtney-cole-4223_expect_if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from_3225031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37d/courtney-cole-4223_expect_if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from_3225031.jpg) > ““If you constantly expect the worst from someone, that’s probably what you’re going to get.”” [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expecting the worst from others often causes them to behave poorly, fulfilling the expectation. **In simple terms:** Negative expectations can provoke negative behavior. Key Takeaway Cultivate positive expectations. Themes communication psychology relationships Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type self-help psychological When to use this quote - workplace interactions - personal relationships - customer service Key Concepts self-fulfilling prophecy trust expectation management Questions to Reflect On - How do your expectations shape outcomes? - What strategies can you use to reset expectations? A Different Perspective Positive expectations may be unrealistic in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [I believe passionately in preemptive pessimism, especially before a book comes out. I expect the worst both from reviewers and sales, and then, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-beevor/i-believe-passionately-in-preemptive-pessimism-especially-before-a/) [Antony Beevor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-beevor/) > [I always expect the worst so I wont ever be disappointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-always-expect-the-worst-so-i-wont-ever-be-disappointed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Expect the worst, and hope to be pleasantly surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-r-mcdowell/expect-the-worst-and-hope-to-be-pleasantly-surprised/) Mary R McDowell > [Hope for the best, expect the worst and you will be less shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst-and-you-will-be-less-shocked/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“It was his job to expect the worst of humanity, including myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/it-was-his-job-to-expect-the-worst-of-humanity-including-myself/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“We also know about the self-fulfilling prophecy, which tells us that if you expect the worst out of people, that’s what you will get.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-also-know-about-the-self-fulfilling-prophecy-which-tells-us-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With total strangers, it had always been my policy to expect the worst. Usually they-and those that you knew best, for that matter-did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/with-total-strangers-it-had-always-been-my-policy-to-expect-the-worst/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“Don't expect the worst because, by expecting the worst, you're inviting it to come true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepper-winters/don-t-expect-the-worst-because-by-expecting-the-worst-you-re-inviting/) [Pepper Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepper-winters/) > [“Hope for the best and expect the worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ross-symposium/hope-for-the-best-and-expect-the-worst/) Jerry Ross Symposium > [Expect the worst And that's what You'll get Only it will be Much worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-donleavy-2/expect-the-worst-and-that-s-what-you-ll-get-only-it-will-be-much-worse/) [J. P. Donleavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-donleavy-2/) > [Hope for the best, expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [“I guess when you expect the worst it’s always a pleasant surprise if everything ends up going smoothly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/i-guess-when-you-expect-the-worst-it-s-always-a-pleasant-surprise-if/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [“It is high time that I learn to be more careful about hope, a reckless emotion for travellers. The sensible approach would be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/it-is-high-time-that-i-learn-to-be-more-careful-about-hope-a-reckless/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) ## More by Courtney Cole > [“I couldn't remember if I thanked you for what you did," I tell her. "And I can't get you out of my head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/i-couldn-t-remember-if-i-thanked-you-for-what-you-did-i-tell-her-and/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“Perfect. I would have an unbalanced psychopath on my hands armed with immortal supernatural power. This night kept getting better and better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/perfect-i-would-have-an-unbalanced-psychopath-on-my-hands-armed-with/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“You can have all the time that you need, Mila. I'll wait forever if I have to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/you-can-have-all-the-time-that-you-need-mila-i-ll-wait-forever-if-i/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“Give me another chance," I ask urgently. "I will do anything that you want me to do if you just tell me that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/give-me-another-chance-i-ask-urgently-i-will-do-anything-that-you/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“Because I'm a monster, like my father before me and his father before him, and so on. There is no help for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/because-i-m-a-monster-like-my-father-before-me-and-his-father-before/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“You’ve seen me at my worst. Maybe you should see me at my best.” My words hang between us, heavy and charged, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/you-ve-seen-me-at-my-worst-maybe-you-should-see-me-at-my-best-my/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“I focus on my favorite daydream, the one where I return from London at the end of the summer and am all glamorous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/i-focus-on-my-favorite-daydream-the-one-where-i-return-from-london-at/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“After tonight, I don’t want you to come around me, Jacey. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have already. Tonight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/after-tonight-i-don-t-want-you-to-come-around-me-jacey-i-don-t-want/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“And women don't usually like to be looked at. They feel vulnerable, exposed. They are self-conscious about their perceived flaws. What they don't understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/and-women-don-t-usually-like-to-be-looked-at-they-feel-vulnerable/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“I love you, too, Pax. I hope you know that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/i-love-you-too-pax-i-hope-you-know-that/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“She's the reason I came to your house, remember? She called me or I wouldn't have known that things were so bad. She loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/she-s-the-reason-i-came-to-your-house-remember-she-called-me-or-i/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“Mila, I've said this before, but you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You are beautiful inside and out. I don't deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/mila-i-ve-said-this-before-but-you-are-the-most-beautiful-thing-i-ve/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“If it were me, I’d be flying off the handle and freaking out. But he’s not. He’s as calm as can be. We’re like yin and yang. Perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/if-it-were-me-i-d-be-flying-off-the-handle-and-freaking-out-but-he-s/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“Jacey,” I continue, trying to make my voice steady, “I don’t know what I can offer you. But I’ll try to offer you something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/jacey-i-continue-trying-to-make-my-voice-steady-i-don-t-know-what-i/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“I crumple onto the lounger and cry again even though I didn’t think I had any tears left. And then Dante is next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/i-crumple-onto-the-lounger-and-cry-again-even-though-i-didn-t-think-i/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) [Explore all 112 Courtney Cole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) ## More Expect quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) Senoraroy > [Beare with evill, and expect good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/beare-with-evill-and-expect-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/therefore-you-also-must-be-ready-for-the-son-of-man-is-coming-at-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People expect more and more every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/people-expect-more-and-more-every-time/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [“Love is promising to give someone everything and not expect anything in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hart/love-is-promising-to-give-someone-everything-and-not-expect-anything/) [Emma Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hart/) > [I wanted to make a place for filmmakers and artists to come and 'do their stuff,' but I didn't expect it to have had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-anderson/i-wanted-to-make-a-place-for-filmmakers-and-artists-to-come-and-do/) [Tom Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-anderson/) > [Parents should have perfect control over their own spirits, and with mildness and yet firmness bend the will of the child until it shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/parents-should-have-perfect-control-over-their-own-spirits-and-with/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [“When you have a relationship with Jesus, you learn to expect something different everyday of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mlungisi-simelane/when-you-have-a-relationship-with-jesus-you-learn-to-expect-something/) [Mlungisi Simelane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mlungisi-simelane/) > [I didn't expect I will get the Arjuna at 18 years. I thought 19.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/i-didn-t-expect-i-will-get-the-arjuna-at-18-years-i-thought-19/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [“Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/maybe-who-we-are-isn-t-so-much-about-what-we-do-but-rather-what-we-re/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Sometimes when you least expect it, hope wiggles into your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-plourde/sometimes-when-you-least-expect-it-hope-wiggles-into-your-heart/) [Lynn Plourde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-plourde/) > [I laid my life on the line, so I expect nothing less from you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/i-laid-my-life-on-the-line-so-i-expect-nothing-less-from-you/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) Browse all 2,143 Expect quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you constantly expect the worst from someone, that’s probably what you’re going to get.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Courtney Cole" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from-someone-that-s-probably-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from-someone-that-s-probably-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37d/courtney-cole-4223_expect_if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from_3225031.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37d/courtney-cole-4223_expect_if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from_3225031.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37d/courtney-cole-4223_expect_if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from_3225031.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you constantly expect the worst from someone, that’s probably what you’re going to get.” — Courtney Cole", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Courtney Cole", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you constantly expect the worst...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from-someone-that-s-probably-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/if-you-constantly-expect-the-worst-from-someone-that-s-probably-what/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```