--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at…" description: "\"I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at least a modicum of stability - a steady income, an established career, a bountiful fullness, like a pillow in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_always_i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-a_1811672.jpg" --- # I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at least a modicum… ![“I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at least a modicum of stability - a steady income, an established career, a bountiful fullness, like a pillow into which I could sink as I entered the second half of my life.” quote by Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_always_i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-a_1811672.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_always_i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-a_1811672.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_always_i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-a_1811672.jpg) > “I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at least a modicum of stability - a steady income, an established career, a bountiful fullness, like a pillow into which I could sink as I entered the second half of my life.” [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Midlife expectations often clash with reality; stability and fulfillment are not guaranteed by age alone. **In simple terms:** Midlife may not bring the stability you expect. Key Takeaway Adjust expectations and seek fulfillment beyond external markers. Themes midlife expectations career stability Mood reflective hopeful realistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - financial advice - mental health counseling - personal journaling Key Concepts identity purpose resilience Questions to Reflect On - What does stability mean to you now? - How can you cultivate fulfillment without relying on external milestones? A Different Perspective Societal pressure can create unrealistic timelines; personal growth is non‑linear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Fullness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fullness/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Stability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stability/) ## Related quotes > [Id always assumed that by 40 Id have at least a modicum of stability - a steady income, an established career, a bountiful fullness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken/id-always-assumed-that-by-40-id-have-at-least-a-modicum-of-stability/) Deborah Copaken > [Hopefully, I've established a career, but you can be a big sensation one day, and the next day everyone's going, 'Who? ... Who?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-darwish/hopefully-i-ve-established-a-career-but-you-can-be-a-big-sensation/) [Tiffany Darwish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-darwish/) > [The great thing about being on a television show is that it usually provides you with fairly steady income so you can go and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-harding/the-great-thing-about-being-on-a-television-show-is-that-it-usually/) [Ian Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-harding/) > [Let's say you're all worried about student-loan debt and you need to have steady income. That doesn't have to be your everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/let-s-say-you-re-all-worried-about-student-loan-debt-and-you-need-to/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [Christ entered our world. As a result, we can enter His.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/christ-entered-our-world-as-a-result-we-can-enter-his/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [TV ushered in the age of postliteracy. And we have gone so far beyond that. I mean, what with the Internet and Google and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/tv-ushered-in-the-age-of-postliteracy-and-we-have-gone-so-far-beyond/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I was 16 when I entered the foster system, and know firsthand the statistics for 'aging out.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-featherstone/i-was-16-when-i-entered-the-foster-system-and-know-firsthand-the/) [Angela Featherstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-featherstone/) > [I entered medicine to use it as a vehicle for social change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patch-adams/i-entered-medicine-to-use-it-as-a-vehicle-for-social-change/) [Patch Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patch-adams/) > [“I should have asked why any room in the house was better than home to me when she entered it, and barren as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/i-should-have-asked-why-any-room-in-the-house-was-better-than-home-to/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [My real education began when I entered the University of Chicago in September 1951 as a graduate student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cronin/my-real-education-began-when-i-entered-the-university-of-chicago-in/) [James Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cronin/) > [It always seemed to me ironic that the McCain campaign kept referring sneeringly to Obama's meager resume - 'a mere community organizer!' - before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/it-always-seemed-to-me-ironic-that-the-mccain-campaign-kept-referring/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [I never entered a fight overconfident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabricio-werdum/i-never-entered-a-fight-overconfident/) [Fabricio Werdum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabricio-werdum/) > [Theres something unique about the United States, a sense of individual rights and freedoms, and a sense of social and civic responsibility that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hickenlooper/theres-something-unique-about-the-united-states-a-sense-of-individual/) [George Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hickenlooper/) > [My early research - I'm a social psychologist, and my early research was on how people make moral judgments. When I entered the field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/my-early-research-i-m-a-social-psychologist-and-my-early-research-was/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [My grandmother taught me how to read, very early, but she taught me to read just the way she taught herself how to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vik-muniz/my-grandmother-taught-me-how-to-read-very-early-but-she-taught-me-to/) [Vik Muniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vik-muniz/) ## More by Deborah Copaken Kogan > [“Stories are how we make sense of our lives. To tell a story is to own it: to own the narrative thread to own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/stories-are-how-we-make-sense-of-our-lives-to-tell-a-story-is-to-own/) [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) > [“I love this idea," Bruno says. "Of being broken but finding pleasure in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-love-this-idea-bruno-says-of-being-broken-but-finding-pleasure-in-it/) [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) > [“My truth she'd said to him. What the hell is truth anyway Two separate questions yes. But not wholly unrelated. For truth no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/my-truth-she-d-said-to-him-what-the-hell-is-truth-anyway-two-separate/) [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) > [I have an Emmy, but it's no big deal: work in TV news long enough, you eventually get one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-have-an-emmy-but-it-s-no-big-deal-work-in-tv-news-long-enough-you/) [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) > [When it comes down to it, I believe that, having made the decision to bring children into the world, I owe it to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that-having-made-the-decision-to/) [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) > [“Because that was the problem, really, wasn’t it, with being human? 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I've never taken a writing course, but reading and deconstructing his novels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/when-it-comes-to-writers-i-m-a-huge-fan-of-ian-mcewan-i-ve-never/) [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) > [“If I've learned anything in the twenty-five years that have transpired between graduation and today it is this: I am stronger than I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/if-i-ve-learned-anything-in-the-twenty-five-years-that-have/) [Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) [Explore all 10 Deborah Copaken Kogan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at least a modicum of stability - a steady income, an established career, a bountiful fullness, like a pillow into which I could sink as I entered the second half of my life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Deborah Copaken Kogan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-at-least-a-modicum-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-at-least-a-modicum-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_always_i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-a_1811672.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_always_i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-a_1811672.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_always_i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-a_1811672.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at least a modicum of stability - a steady income, an established…” — Deborah Copaken Kogan", "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": "Deborah Copaken Kogan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd always assumed that by 40...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-at-least-a-modicum-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-at-least-a-modicum-of/#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 } } ] } ```