--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm always disappointed when people don't…" description: "\"I'm always disappointed when people don't live up to their potential. I know that a number of people look down on themselves and consequently on everyb..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/maya-angelou-104_always_i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don_2853175.jpg" --- # I'm always disappointed when people don't live up to their… ![“I'm always disappointed when people don't live up to their potential. I know that a number of people look down on themselves and consequently on everybody who looks like them. But that, too, can change.” quote by Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/maya-angelou-104_always_i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don_2853175.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/maya-angelou-104_always_i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don_2853175.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/maya-angelou-104_always_i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don_2853175.jpg) > “I'm always disappointed when people don't live up to their potential. I know that a number of people look down on themselves and consequently on everybody who looks like them. But that, too, can change.” [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## 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 fall short of their abilities, leading to disappointment and self‑denial, but change is possible with self‑recognition. **In simple terms:** People fail to reach potential, causing disappointment; change can happen. Key Takeaway Recognize and nurture hidden potential. Themes potential disappointment self‑esteem growth Mood empathetic reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - education - coaching - mentoring - community programs Key Concepts psychology self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - How can we help others see their own worth? - What barriers prevent people from realizing potential? A Different Perspective Self‑esteem issues can hinder progress despite support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Consequently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequently/) [Disappointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I've had to learn that not everybody does things my way. But I do expect the absolute best of everyone around me, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-johnson/i-ve-had-to-learn-that-not-everybody-does-things-my-way-but-i-do/) [Michael Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-johnson/) > [I just continue to be kind of disappointed that people don't realize that and try and diversify the kind of work they are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/i-just-continue-to-be-kind-of-disappointed-that-people-don-t-realize/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [I'm disappointed in people in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinton-cerf/i-m-disappointed-in-people-in-general/) [Vinton Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinton-cerf/) > [Donald Trump actually won a lot of people. We've got to give the president-elect his due. He was a tractor beam for the disappointed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hewitt/donald-trump-actually-won-a-lot-of-people-we-ve-got-to-give-the/) [Hugh Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hewitt/) > [“Live up to your potential, not down to others expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-christopher/live-up-to-your-potential-not-down-to-others-expectations/) Lawrence Christopher > [If we do everything right, the best we can do is live out our potential with as little age-related disease and disability as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/if-we-do-everything-right-the-best-we-can-do-is-live-out-our/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I need to live up to my potential, wherever that may be, in all aspects of my life. My head gets in the way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cole/i-need-to-live-up-to-my-potential-wherever-that-may-be-in-all-aspects/) [Chris Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cole/) > [You cannot afford to live in potential for the rest of your life; at some point, you have to unleash the potential and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/you-cannot-afford-to-live-in-potential-for-the-rest-of-your-life-at/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [You can't live off potential for the rest of your life. So get up, get out and go get you some!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/you-can-t-live-off-potential-for-the-rest-of-your-life-so-get-up-get/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [I want everyone to live to their full potential without having to fear someone will try to knock them down or discriminate against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halima-aden/i-want-everyone-to-live-to-their-full-potential-without-having-to/) [Halima Aden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halima-aden/) > [You are capable of so much more. You have so much more to learn and to give. You have much more power and potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-housham/you-are-capable-of-so-much-more-you-have-so-much-more-to-learn-and-to/) [Ricardo Housham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-housham/) > [“Live up to your potential, not down to others expectation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-faulkner/live-up-to-your-potential-not-down-to-others-expectation/) Michael Faulkner > [America can only live up to its potential when each and every American has the chance to live up to your potential, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/america-can-only-live-up-to-its-potential-when-each-and-every/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [More than anything else, what differentiates people who live up to their potential from those who don't is a willingness to look at themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/more-than-anything-else-what-differentiates-people-who-live-up-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [People have an obligation to live up to their potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/people-have-an-obligation-to-live-up-to-their-potential/) [Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/) ## More by Maya Angelou > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“You are very kind and very intelligent and those elements are not always found together. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-are-very-kind-and-very-intelligent-and-those-elements-are-not/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost. If I am moved or forced away from what I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-agreed-a-long-time-ago-i-would-not-live-at-any-cost-if-i-am-moved/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-want-me-to-do-something-tell-me-i-can-t-do-it/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/intelligence-is-a-separate-gift-for-the-benefit-of-students-so-that/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-is-going-to-give-you-just-what-you-put-in-it-put-your-whole/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-write-me-down-in-history-with-your-bitter-twisted-lies-you/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/the-more-you-know-of-your-history-the-more-liberated-you-are/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Life offers us tickets to places which we have not knowingly asked for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-offers-us-tickets-to-places-which-we-have-not-knowingly-asked-for/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Nathaniel Hawthorne once said that easy reading is damn hard writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/nathaniel-hawthorne-once-said-that-easy-reading-is-damn-hard-writing/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Sunday, if I'm lucky, I'll go to church or listen to some good spiritual advice on the television or on the radio. I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/sunday-if-i-m-lucky-i-ll-go-to-church-or-listen-to-some-good/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) [Explore all 1,313 Maya Angelou quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm always disappointed when people don't live up to their potential. I know that a number of people look down on themselves and consequently on everybody who looks like them. But that, too, can change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maya Angelou" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don-t-live-up-to-their-potential/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don-t-live-up-to-their-potential/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/maya-angelou-104_always_i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don_2853175.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/maya-angelou-104_always_i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don_2853175.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/maya-angelou-104_always_i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don_2853175.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm always disappointed when people don't live up to their potential. I know that a number of people look…” — Maya Angelou", "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": "Maya Angelou", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm always disappointed when people don't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don-t-live-up-to-their-potential/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-always-disappointed-when-people-don-t-live-up-to-their-potential/#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 } } ] } ```