--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you expect someone else to guide you…" description: "\"If you expect someone else to guide you, you'll be lost.\" — James Earl Jones" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/james-earl-jones-8519_expect_if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you_753379.jpg" --- # If you expect someone else to guide you, you'll be lost. ![“If you expect someone else to guide you, you'll be lost.” quote by James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/james-earl-jones-8519_expect_if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you_753379.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/james-earl-jones-8519_expect_if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you_753379.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/james-earl-jones-8519_expect_if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you_753379.jpg) > “If you expect someone else to guide you, you'll be lost.” [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying on others for direction leaves you without personal guidance, leading to confusion. **In simple terms:** Don't depend on others for direction. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑guidance. Themes self‑reliance leadership independence Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - travel navigation - project management - personal development Key Concepts personal responsibility decision making autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Who can you trust to guide you? - When is it wise to seek external advice? A Different Perspective Some situations truly benefit from mentorship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [If you don't know where you're going, when you get there you'll be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/if-you-don-t-know-where-you-re-going-when-you-get-there-you-ll-be-lost/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [But I really wanted to find it for you. And when it looked in the end like it wasn't going to turn up, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-i-really-wanted-to-find-it-for-you-and-when-it-looked-in-the-end/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [You'll see more and more perfection of that - computer as servant. 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As a kid, I could always sell anything I could get my hands on -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/a-lot-of-drive-is-innate-self-perpetuated-reinforced-energy-as-a-kid/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [From sage on the stage to guide on the side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-king/from-sage-on-the-stage-to-guide-on-the-side/) Alison King > [May Allah guide us to the good of the kingdom of Bahrain and its loyal people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamad-bin-isa-al-khalifa/may-allah-guide-us-to-the-good-of-the-kingdom-of-bahrain-and-its/) [Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamad-bin-isa-al-khalifa/) > [For what am I to myself without You, but a guide to my own downfall?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-what-am-i-to-myself-without-you-but-a-guide-to-my-own-downfall/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by James Earl Jones > [You sang in church, you know, and you didn't act at all. You tried not to act, you tried to tell the truth. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/you-sang-in-church-you-know-and-you-didn-t-act-at-all-you-tried-not/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Even during the rationing period, during World War II, we didn't have the anxiety that we'd starve, because we grew our own potatoes, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/even-during-the-rationing-period-during-world-war-ii-we-didn-t-have/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [I really think I ambled through a lot of my life, or ambled from one thing to the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/i-really-think-i-ambled-through-a-lot-of-my-life-or-ambled-from-one/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [There is a very fine line between love and nausea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/there-is-a-very-fine-line-between-love-and-nausea/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [No one asked me to be an actor, so no one owed me. There was no entitlement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/no-one-asked-me-to-be-an-actor-so-no-one-owed-me-there-was-no/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [You weren't going to the theatre to change the world, but you had a chance to affect the world, the thinking and the feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/you-weren-t-going-to-the-theatre-to-change-the-world-but-you-had-a/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [People who lusted after Marilyn Monroe had no idea she stuttered. 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In Sunday school, I'd try to read my lessons, and the children behind me were falling on the floor with laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/stuttering-is-painful-in-sunday-school-i-d-try-to-read-my-lessons-and/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Speech is a very important aspect of being human. A whisper doesn't cut it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/speech-is-a-very-important-aspect-of-being-human-a-whisper-doesn-t/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Don't you try and go through life worried if someone had liked you or not. You best make sure that they are doing right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/don-t-you-try-and-go-through-life-worried-if-someone-had-liked-you-or/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) [Explore all 79 James Earl Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) ## 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 expect someone else to guide you, you'll be lost.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Earl Jones" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you-you-ll-be-lost/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you-you-ll-be-lost/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/james-earl-jones-8519_expect_if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you_753379.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/james-earl-jones-8519_expect_if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you_753379.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/james-earl-jones-8519_expect_if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you_753379.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you expect someone else to guide you, you'll be lost.” — James Earl Jones", "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": "James Earl Jones", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you expect someone else to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you-you-ll-be-lost/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/if-you-expect-someone-else-to-guide-you-you-ll-be-lost/#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 } } ] } ```