--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But sometimes the key to happiness is…" description: "\"“But sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less. That way, you'll never be disappointed.”\" — Jodi Picoult" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/jodi-picoult-45_happiness_but-sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-ju_630705.jpg" --- # But sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a… ![“But sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less. That way, you'll never be disappointed.” quote by Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/jodi-picoult-45_happiness_but-sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-ju_630705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/jodi-picoult-45_happiness_but-sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-ju_630705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/jodi-picoult-45_happiness_but-sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-ju_630705.jpg) > ““But sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less. That way, you'll never be disappointed.”” [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness often comes from lowering expectations, which reduces the chance of disappointment. **In simple terms:** Expect less to avoid disappointment. Key Takeaway Adjust expectations to protect emotional well‑being. Themes expectations happiness disappointment Mood reflective pragmatic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - financial planning - career goals - health goals Key Concepts psychology contentment mindset Questions to Reflect On - What expectations could you soften without harming growth? - How does expectation management affect your joy? A Different Perspective Lowering expectations may limit ambition or lead to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Key to happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-to-happiness/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-just-expecting-a-little-bit-less/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less. That way, you'll never be dissappointed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-van-leer/sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-just-expecting-a-little-bit-less-2/) [Samantha van Leer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-van-leer/) > [“But sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/but-sometimes-the-key-to-happiness-is-just-expecting-a-little-bit-less/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I know now, that I hold the key to happiness. 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It hinges on insanity, but it works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/the-key-to-happiness-is-to-listen-to-campy-parisian-music-and-smile/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) ## More by Jodi Picoult > [You get through it, you just never get over it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-get-through-it-you-just-never-get-over-it/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Let me guess," Eric says, "You never meant for it to happen." "Hell, yes, I did. 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That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But sometimes the key to happiness is just expecting a little bit less. 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