--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The extraordinary thing is not that…" description: "\"The extraordinary thing is not that people in a lifetime turn out worse or better than we had prophesied; particularly in America that is to be expecte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_america_the-extraordinary-thing-is-not-that-peop_3190260.jpg" --- # The extraordinary thing is not that people in a lifetime… ![“The extraordinary thing is not that people in a lifetime turn out worse or better than we had prophesied; particularly in America that is to be expected. The extraordinary thing is how people keep their levels, fulfill their promises, seem actually buoyed up by an inevitable destiny.” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_america_the-extraordinary-thing-is-not-that-peop_3190260.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_america_the-extraordinary-thing-is-not-that-peop_3190260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_america_the-extraordinary-thing-is-not-that-peop_3190260.jpg) > “The extraordinary thing is not that people in a lifetime turn out worse or better than we had prophesied; particularly in America that is to be expected. The extraordinary thing is how people keep their levels, fulfill their promises, seem actually buoyed up by an inevitable destiny.” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often meet expectations, but the remarkable part is their resilience and commitment to destiny despite challenges. **In simple terms:** People stay true to promises and destiny. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor personal resilience. Themes resilience commitment destiny expectations Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal crises - social upheaval - political change Key Concepts American literature human nature social commentary Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain promises during hardship? - What fuels belief in destiny? A Different Perspective Resilience can be fragile under extreme pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Extraordinary things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary-things/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) ## Related quotes > [Fame comes only when deserved, and then is as inevitable as destiny, for it is destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/fame-comes-only-when-deserved-and-then-is-as-inevitable-as-destiny/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [marriage is an extraordinary thing - and I doubt if any outsider - even a child of the marriage - has the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/marriage-is-an-extraordinary-thing-and-i-doubt-if-any-outsider-even-a/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [To be able to touch lives, and touch a life that you don't even know, is an extraordinary thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/to-be-able-to-touch-lives-and-touch-a-life-that-you-don-t-even-know/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-extraordinary-thing-in-the-world-is-an-ordinary-man-and-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's an extraordinary thing, this tiny little province of Northern Ireland, where carnage happened. And I was part of it. I grew up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/it-s-an-extraordinary-thing-this-tiny-little-province-of-northern/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Art itself has become an extraordinary thing - the activity of peculiar people - people who become more and more peculiar as their activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gill/art-itself-has-become-an-extraordinary-thing-the-activity-of-peculiar/) [Eric Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gill/) > [The extraordinary thing about the record industry is how success can take off without warning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/the-extraordinary-thing-about-the-record-industry-is-how-success-can/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [It's an extraordinary thing about Mozart is that you never tire of him... he never bores me, and he doesn't... not only bore me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/it-s-an-extraordinary-thing-about-mozart-is-that-you-never-tire-of/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [Drop the idea of being Extraordinary! It's keeping you mediocre. To be Ordinary is the most extraordinary thing in the world. The Ordinary person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/drop-the-idea-of-being-extraordinary-it-s-keeping-you-mediocre-to-be/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [It is a most extraordinary thing, but I never read a patent medicine advertisement without being impelled to the conclusion that I am suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/it-is-a-most-extraordinary-thing-but-i-never-read-a-patent-medicine/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [The extraordinary thing about my mother, she's so modest about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/the-extraordinary-thing-about-my-mother-she-s-so-modest-about-me/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Heroes do extraordinary things. What I did was not an extraordinary thing. It was normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/heroes-do-extraordinary-things-what-i-did-was-not-an-extraordinary/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [If you have this extraordinary thing going in your life, then it is everything; then you become the teacher, the disciple, the neighbour, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/if-you-have-this-extraordinary-thing-going-in-your-life-then-it-is/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“Death is inevitable destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/death-is-inevitable-destiny/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > ['The Walking Dead' is an extraordinary thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-reilly/the-walking-dead-is-an-extraordinary-thing/) [Kevin Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-reilly/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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