---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are no absolutes in relationships…"
description: "\"There are no absolutes in relationships. You can't take anything for granted. You can count on absolutely nothing but the unexpected. You only get in t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/emily-giffin-938_absolutes_there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships_2683854.png"
---

#  There are no absolutes in relationships. You can't take…

![“There are no absolutes in relationships. You can't take anything for granted. You can count on absolutely nothing but the unexpected. You only get in trouble when you start thinking that you're some kind of exception to the rule.” quote by Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/emily-giffin-938_absolutes_there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships_2683854.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/emily-giffin-938_absolutes_there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships_2683854.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/emily-giffin-938_absolutes_there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships_2683854.png)

> “There are no absolutes in relationships. You can't take anything for granted. You can count on absolutely nothing but the unexpected. You only get in trouble when you start thinking that you're some kind of exception to the rule.”

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Relationships lack fixed rules; assuming certainty leads to disappointment and conflict.

**In simple terms:** Relationships are uncertain; expect surprises.

Key Takeaway

Embrace flexibility and avoid assumptions.

Themes

relationships expectations uncertainty

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- dating
- marriage
- friendships
- work collaborations

Key Concepts

Human behavior relational dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you handle unexpected changes in relationships?
- What assumptions have you challenged?

A Different Perspective

Assuming absolutes can cause unnecessary stress and miscommunication.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Absolutes Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes-relationships-2602397/) [Exception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exception/) [Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granted/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Relationships Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships-granted-1790575/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Unexpected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpected/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't take any relationships for granted and I won't ever again. I just enjoy life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-don-t-take-any-relationships-for-granted-and-i-won-t-ever-again-i/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [Some people take relationships for granted, it's sad to hear but true. I don't want this to happen, not with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/some-people-take-relationships-for-granted-it-s-sad-to-hear-but-true/)

[Sharlene05](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharlene05/)

> [“We expect professional and financial success to require time and effort. Why do we take success in our relationships for granted? Why should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eknath-easwaran/we-expect-professional-and-financial-success-to-require-time-and/)

[eknath easwaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eknath-easwaran/)

> [There are always surprises. Life may be inveterately grim and the surprises disproportionately unpleasant, but it would be hardly worth living if there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/there-are-always-surprises-life-may-be-inveterately-grim-and-the/)

[T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/)

> [I'm glad you were both here," I finally manage, thinking how strange it is to be standing with the two people who made you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-m-glad-you-were-both-here-i-finally-manage-thinking-how-strange-it/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [I think of how life takes unexpected twists and turns, sometimes through sheer happenstance, sometimes through calculated decisions. In the end, it can all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-think-of-how-life-takes-unexpected-twists-and-turns-sometimes/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [When we speak our words to God with thanksgiving and release them with the faith that our requests will be granted, we put ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-fargo/when-we-speak-our-words-to-god-with-thanksgiving-and-release-them/)

[Donna Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-fargo/)

> [Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/now-therefore-i-gerald-r-ford-president-of-the-united-states-pursuant/)

[Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/)

> [But Margaret went less abroad, among machinery and men; saw less of power in its public effect, and, as it happened, she was thrown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/but-margaret-went-less-abroad-among-machinery-and-men-saw-less-of/)

[Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/)

> [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [Alright, all right," I said. "What if I tell you a story, instead?" Highlanders loved stories, and Jamie was no exception. "Oh, aye, "…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/alright-all-right-i-said-what-if-i-tell-you-a-story-instead/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/)

[Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/)

> [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/)

[Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/)

> [I've always believed that humans are good at heart. But there's always the exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carlson/i-ve-always-believed-that-humans-are-good-at-heart-but-there-s-always/)

[Amy Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carlson/)

> [“Coincidence is the exception, not the rule.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soheir-khashoggi/coincidence-is-the-exception-not-the-rule/)

[Soheir Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soheir-khashoggi/)

## More by Emily Giffin

> [I try to have something in common with my protagonists, especially when I'm writing in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-have-something-in-common-with-my-protagonists-especially/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [I think exercise is critical to my writing and an essential way to recharge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-think-exercise-is-critical-to-my-writing-and-an-essential-way-to/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [“Grab his penis like this, and I guarantee, it’s a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/grab-his-penis-like-this-and-i-guarantee-it-s-a-done-deal/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [“Well, anyway… it’s over,” I say, realizing that those two words lump me right in with a hoard of naive women who say it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/well-anyway-it-s-over-i-say-realizing-that-those-two-words-lump-me/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [There are two kinds of sorry. There is the sorry imbued with regret. And a pure sorry. The kind that is merely asking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-two-kinds-of-sorry-there-is-the-sorry-imbued-with-regret/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [Throw in the intensity of emotions that come with that bittersweet summer sandwiched between high school graduation and the rest of your life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/throw-in-the-intensity-of-emotions-that-come-with-that-bittersweet/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [“You can never be too sure when it comes to things that matter most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/you-can-never-be-too-sure-when-it-comes-to-things-that-matter-most/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [“It occurs to me that she is not unique--that all women compare lives. We are aware of whose husband works more, who helps more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/it-occurs-to-me-that-she-is-not-unique-that-all-women-compare-lives/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [“I desperately want to feel that way again. To be in a relationship that I’m not trying to script or water down. It’s about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-desperately-want-to-feel-that-way-again-to-be-in-a-relationship/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [I always find something in common with my protagonist, particularly when I write in the first person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-always-find-something-in-common-with-my-protagonist-particularly/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [There is no grief like heartbreak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-is-no-grief-like-heartbreak/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [I find my voice and manage to say those three one-syllable words back to him. Words I haven't uttered in a very, very long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-find-my-voice-and-manage-to-say-those-three-one-syllable-words-back/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [i wish i could freeze this moment, somehow delay my final decision, and just hang here in the balance between two places, two worlds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-wish-i-could-freeze-this-moment-somehow-delay-my-final-decision-and/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-write-about-real-women-real-people-in-other-words-flawed/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [“never had a good gut feeling. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t have faith in my team, but that I maintained the truest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/never-had-a-good-gut-feeling-it-wasn-t-so-much-that-i-didn-t-have/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

[Explore all 324 Emily Giffin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

## More Absolutes quotes

> [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/)

[John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/)

> [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/)

[Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/)

> [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/)

[Christy Nockels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-nockels/)

> [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/)

[Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/)

> [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/)

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/)

[Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/)

> [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/)

[Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/)

> [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There are no absolutes in relationships. You can't take anything for granted. You can count on absolutely nothing but the unexpected. You only get in trouble when you start thinking that you're some kind of exception to the rule.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Emily Giffin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships-you-can-t-take-anything-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Absolutes"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships-you-can-t-take-anything-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/emily-giffin-938_absolutes_there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships_2683854.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/emily-giffin-938_absolutes_there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships_2683854.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/emily-giffin-938_absolutes_there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships_2683854.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are no absolutes in relationships. You can't take anything for granted. You can count on absolutely…” — Emily Giffin",
                "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": "Emily Giffin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There are no absolutes in relationships....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships-you-can-t-take-anything-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/there-are-no-absolutes-in-relationships-you-can-t-take-anything-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
