--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In life the only thing that you can…" description: "\"In life the only thing that you can expect is the unexpected; the only surprise is a day that has none.\" — Joan Rivers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/joan-rivers-669_expect_in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expe_312423.png" --- # In life the only thing that you can expect is the… ![“In life the only thing that you can expect is the unexpected; the only surprise is a day that has none.” quote by Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/joan-rivers-669_expect_in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expe_312423.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/joan-rivers-669_expect_in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expe_312423.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/joan-rivers-669_expect_in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expe_312423.png) > “In life the only thing that you can expect is the unexpected; the only surprise is a day that has none.” [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is unpredictable; the only certainty is that surprises will occur, even on days that seem ordinary. **In simple terms:** Life is full of surprises. Key Takeaway Expect the unexpected. Themes uncertainty humor philosophy Mood witty insightful Type philosophical humorous When to use this quote - planning - risk assessment - mindfulness practice Key Concepts probability existentialism daily life Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay adaptable to surprise? - What routines help you manage uncertainty? A Different Perspective Unexpected events can cause stress; preparation helps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) ## Related quotes > [One day I looked at something in myself that I had been avoiding because it was too painful. Yet once I did, I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/one-day-i-looked-at-something-in-myself-that-i-had-been-avoiding/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I just surprise myself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tierra-whack/i-just-surprise-myself-every-day/) [Tierra Whack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tierra-whack/) > [I always expect unexpected challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/i-always-expect-unexpected-challenges/) [Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/) > [If someone ever tells you,Expect the unexpected, slap them in the face and say,Were you expecting that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-someone-ever-tells-you-expect-the-unexpected-slap-them-in-the-face/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In life, you must expect the unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-life-you-must-expect-the-unexpected/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In 'Pushpa,' you can expect the unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devi-sri-prasad/in-pushpa-you-can-expect-the-unexpected/) [Devi Sri Prasad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devi-sri-prasad/) > [Expect the unexpected, because Life is full of surprise. Thing's that you can't explain and prevent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simpleman/expect-the-unexpected-because-life-is-full-of-surprise-thing-s-that/) Simpleman > [Any minute, any day, some players may break a long standing record. That's one of the fascinations about the game, the unexpected surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-mack/any-minute-any-day-some-players-may-break-a-long-standing-record-that/) [Connie Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-mack/) > [“You did really great up there,” I tell her, because I don’t know how to say what I really want to: that the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-did-really-great-up-there-i-tell-her-because-i-don-t-know-how-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Being a father is a surprise for me every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-pertwee/being-a-father-is-a-surprise-for-me-every-day/) [Sean Pertwee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-pertwee/) > [On today's day, may you be happier than you ever were all your life. May this year be filled with pleasant and unexpected surprises.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/on-today-s-day-may-you-be-happier-than-you-ever-were-all-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Levin had been married three months. He was happy, but not at all in the way he had expected to be. At every step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/levin-had-been-married-three-months-he-was-happy-but-not-at-all-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“the people you love can surprise you every day... maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-people-you-love-can-surprise-you-every-day-maybe-who-we-are-isn-t/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Surprise yourself every day with your own courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denholm-elliott/surprise-yourself-every-day-with-your-own-courage/) [Denholm Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denholm-elliott/) > [Life is full of unexpected surprises from people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sweetreezy/life-is-full-of-unexpected-surprises-from-people/) [Sweetreezy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sweetreezy/) ## More by Joan Rivers > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I was getting dressed and a peeping tom looked in the window, took a look and pulled down the shade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-was-getting-dressed-and-a-peeping-tom-looked-in-the-window-took-a/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [All my way through college, I worked my way as a window dresser for Lord & Taylor, so I always liked fashion. I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/all-my-way-through-college-i-worked-my-way-as-a-window-dresser-for/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Everyone thinks Angelina Jolie was the first celebrity baby hoarder, but she wasn't. Before Angelina there was Mia Farrow. Mia had an entire farm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/everyone-thinks-angelina-jolie-was-the-first-celebrity-baby-hoarder/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I have no sex appeal, which kills me. The only way I can ever hear heavy breathing from my husband's side of the bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-have-no-sex-appeal-which-kills-me-the-only-way-i-can-ever-hear/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Life goes by fast. Enjoy it. Calm down. It's all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/life-goes-by-fast-enjoy-it-calm-down-it-s-all-funny/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [If you hate something, you hate it, and if you like something or somebody, you like it, but tell the truth. And most celebrities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/if-you-hate-something-you-hate-it-and-if-you-like-something-or/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I have no line. If I think it's funny, it's funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-have-no-line-if-i-think-it-s-funny-it-s-funny/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I know now that everybody in the arts is forever a beginner. Experience counts for a great deal and very little. Every night onstage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-know-now-that-everybody-in-the-arts-is-forever-a-beginner/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Why women don't blink during foreplay... not enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/why-women-don-t-blink-during-foreplay-not-enough-time/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [My breasts are so low now I can have a mammogram and a pedicure at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/my-breasts-are-so-low-now-i-can-have-a-mammogram-and-a-pedicure-at/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I love Vines. You make this 6.4-second drama, and you can reach 6 million viewer, and make people laugh. I find it so fabulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-love-vines-you-make-this-6-4-second-drama-and-you-can-reach-6/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Grandchildren can be annoying - how many times can you go: "And the cow goes moo and the pig goes oink"? It's like talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/grandchildren-can-be-annoying-how-many-times-can-you-go-and-the-cow/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I'm a New York girl. I come out of New York theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-m-a-new-york-girl-i-come-out-of-new-york-theater/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [All babies look like Renée Zellweger pushed against a glass window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/all-babies-look-like-ren-e-zellweger-pushed-against-a-glass-window/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) [Explore all 417 Joan Rivers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) ## 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": "In life the only thing that you can expect is the unexpected; the only surprise is a day that has none.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Rivers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expect-is-the-unexpected-the-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expect-is-the-unexpected-the-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/joan-rivers-669_expect_in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expe_312423.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/joan-rivers-669_expect_in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expe_312423.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/joan-rivers-669_expect_in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expe_312423.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In life the only thing that you can expect is the unexpected; the only surprise is a day that has none.” — Joan Rivers", "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": "Joan Rivers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In life the only thing that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expect-is-the-unexpected-the-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/in-life-the-only-thing-that-you-can-expect-is-the-unexpected-the-only/#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 } } ] } ```