--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most surprising thing for my mother…" description: "\"The most surprising thing for my mother and father was when I was actually earning more money than them by the time I was about 18. They thought I was ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/diane-cilento-21572_earning_the-most-surprising-thing-for-my-mother_1114457.jpg" --- # The most surprising thing for my mother and father was… ![“The most surprising thing for my mother and father was when I was actually earning more money than them by the time I was about 18. They thought I was going to be the ne'er do well, who they'd have to keep worrying about.” quote by Diane Cilento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/diane-cilento-21572_earning_the-most-surprising-thing-for-my-mother_1114457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/diane-cilento-21572_earning_the-most-surprising-thing-for-my-mother_1114457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/diane-cilento-21572_earning_the-most-surprising-thing-for-my-mother_1114457.jpg) > “The most surprising thing for my mother and father was when I was actually earning more money than them by the time I was about 18. They thought I was going to be the ne'er do well, who they'd have to keep worrying about.” [Diane Cilento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-cilento/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She recounts surprising her parents’ expectations by earning more than them at a young age, highlighting generational shifts and self‑determination. **In simple terms:** Earned more than parents at 18, defying expectations. Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions, pursue early independence. Themes family expectations achievement generational change self‑reliance Mood inspirational reflective empowering Type personal sociological When to use this quote - Early career planning - Financial literacy - Entrepreneurship - Mentorship Key Concepts Economic mobility Youth empowerment Family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What motivated you to succeed early? - How do you handle expectations from family? A Different Perspective Early success can create pressure to maintain high performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earning money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earning-money/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother and father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-and-father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We have an idea that if something we're doing isn't actually earning money, or spending it, then it's completely worthless. But if you start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/we-have-an-idea-that-if-something-we-re-doing-isn-t-actually-earning/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [From the age of 11, I was taught the importance of earning my own money. I would babysit, walk dogs, clean cars, and work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/from-the-age-of-11-i-was-taught-the-importance-of-earning-my-own/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [My dad has a lot of foresight and decided that I would not do any shows in Mumbai till I became a singer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonu-nigam/my-dad-has-a-lot-of-foresight-and-decided-that-i-would-not-do-any/) [Sonu Nigam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonu-nigam/) > [Some of today's athletes do not have that kind of pride. They left school at 16, have never had a job in their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/some-of-today-s-athletes-do-not-have-that-kind-of-pride-they-left/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [The secret I've lived by ever since I started earning money is this: Always buy a house with an extra bedroom adjoining the master.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polly-bergen/the-secret-i-ve-lived-by-ever-since-i-started-earning-money-is-this/) [Polly Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polly-bergen/) > [In the last workshop I taught, a woman flew in from Thailand. She's a medical doctor in Bangkok. I asked her in her one-on-one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/in-the-last-workshop-i-taught-a-woman-flew-in-from-thailand-she-s-a/) [Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/) > [I started doing a paper round when I was about 10. I started earning $10 a week and then I was obsessed with earning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-started-doing-a-paper-round-when-i-was-about-10-i-started-earning/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [I define power as 'control over one's life.' 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They are committed to the task, not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/designer-s-derive-their-rewards-from-inner-standards-of-excellence/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) > [You have to have the same power to lead the life you want as a man does, and that means earning the same amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-rigg/you-have-to-have-the-same-power-to-lead-the-life-you-want-as-a-man/) [Diana Rigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-rigg/) > [At 17 I was earning money I didn't know how to handle and before I knew it I owed thousands to the taxman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquita-oliver/at-17-i-was-earning-money-i-didn-t-know-how-to-handle-and-before-i/) [Miquita Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miquita-oliver/) > [Reading is awesome and flexible and fits around chores and earning money and building the future and whatever else I’m doing that day. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/reading-is-awesome-and-flexible-and-fits-around-chores-and-earning/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [At the age of 16 I started performing with a dance band in the evenings and began earning more money than my father, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-bruce/at-the-age-of-16-i-started-performing-with-a-dance-band-in-the/) [Jack Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-bruce/) ## More by Diane Cilento > [If you've got a lot of children, I think you let the other children bring them up more and you just sort of step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-cilento/if-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-children-i-think-you-let-the-other-children/) [Diane Cilento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-cilento/) > [My father said, If you want to do acting, you have to be successful, which is a silly thing to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-cilento/my-father-said-if-you-want-to-do-acting-you-have-to-be-successful/) [Diane Cilento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-cilento/) > [Blank House was exactly a nice empty sheet where nothing was accountable because you were so naughty that you were in Blank House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-cilento/blank-house-was-exactly-a-nice-empty-sheet-where-nothing-was/) [Diane Cilento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-cilento/) > [If you were in the film industry at that time, you were always picked up by directors who were much older. 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