---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mother set impossibly high standards for…"
description: "\"Mother set impossibly high standards for us, creating tremendous pressures and undermining our ability to accomplish whatever modest aims we may have s..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/katharine-graham-11632_high-standards_mother-set-impossibly-high-standards-for_969215.png"
---

#  Mother set impossibly high standards for us, creating…

![“Mother set impossibly high standards for us, creating tremendous pressures and undermining our ability to accomplish whatever modest aims we may have set for ourselves.” quote by Katharine Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/katharine-graham-11632_high-standards_mother-set-impossibly-high-standards-for_969215.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/katharine-graham-11632_high-standards_mother-set-impossibly-high-standards-for_969215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/katharine-graham-11632_high-standards_mother-set-impossibly-high-standards-for_969215.png)

> “Mother set impossibly high standards for us, creating tremendous pressures and undermining our ability to accomplish whatever modest aims we may have set for ourselves.”

[Katharine Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-graham/)

## About This Quote

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

High parental expectations create pressure that hinders achievement of modest goals.

**In simple terms:** Overly high standards can be counterproductive.

Key Takeaway

Set realistic expectations for yourself and others.

Themes

family expectations pressure achievement

Mood

thoughtful concerned

Type

advice psychological

When to use this quote

- career planning
- parenting
- personal development
- education

Key Concepts

psychology goal setting self-esteem

Questions to Reflect On

- What standards are truly beneficial?
- How can you reframe high expectations?

A Different Perspective

Excessive pressure can lead to burnout and resentment.

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[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [Those things that are basically foundational - hard work, high standards, playing for your teammates, putting the team first - those things are ingrained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-flores/those-things-that-are-basically-foundational-hard-work-high-standards/)

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## More by Katharine Graham

> [In Washington, the public and the private intertwine in such a way that they can't be easily separated. This is the city where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-graham/in-washington-the-public-and-the-private-intertwine-in-such-a-way/)

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> [We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just talk a good game . . . we've got to play a good game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-standards-if-we-just-talk-a-good/)

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[Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/)

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[Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/)

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

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