--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do feel pressure. I have always been…" description: "\"I do feel pressure. I have always been able to surprise people because they didn't know to expect anything from me. And now people are starting to have..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/michael-cerveris-44192_able_i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-ab_1058480.jpg" --- # I do feel pressure. I have always been able to surprise… ![“I do feel pressure. I have always been able to surprise people because they didn't know to expect anything from me. And now people are starting to have expectations.” quote by Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/michael-cerveris-44192_able_i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-ab_1058480.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/michael-cerveris-44192_able_i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-ab_1058480.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/michael-cerveris-44192_able_i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-ab_1058480.jpg) > “I do feel pressure. I have always been able to surprise people because they didn't know to expect anything from me. And now people are starting to have expectations.” [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling pressure from rising expectations can be unsettling, yet it also highlights past ability to defy assumptions. **In simple terms:** People expect more now, creating pressure. Key Takeaway Embrace expectations as a chance to grow. Themes self‑esteem expectations growth Mood anxious determined Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - career advancement - public speaking - creative projects - personal branding Key Concepts identity performance surprise Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn expectations into motivation? - What strategies keep you authentic under scrutiny? A Different Perspective Pressure may stifle creativity if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Expect People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-people/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Feel Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-pressure/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Starting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprise People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-people-1174921/) ## Related quotes > [The essence of comedy, drama, and horror is surprise. I have an uncanny ability to surprise people because they look at my face, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/the-essence-of-comedy-drama-and-horror-is-surprise-i-have-an-uncanny/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [Humor needs to come in under cover of darkness, in disguise, and surprise people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/humor-needs-to-come-in-under-cover-of-darkness-in-disguise-and/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I don't think we surprise people. We try to out-execute them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-think-we-surprise-people-we-try-to-out-execute-them/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [That's always the biggest surprise when people meet me: how buoyant I am and how fun and light I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-always-the-biggest-surprise-when-people-meet-me-how-buoyant-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [Paulinho will surprise many people. If he does not fit at Barca, he would at Atletico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-luis/paulinho-will-surprise-many-people-if-he-does-not-fit-at-barca-he/) [Filipe Luis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-luis/) > [What was so lovely about 'O.J.' and 'This Is Us' to a certain extent is that I got a chance to surprise people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/what-was-so-lovely-about-o-j-and-this-is-us-to-a-certain-extent-is/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [Pressure is a combination of expectations, scrutiny and consequences. If the consequences are grave, then you feel more pressure and if you feel more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianluca-vialli/pressure-is-a-combination-of-expectations-scrutiny-and-consequences/) [Gianluca Vialli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianluca-vialli/) > [I always try to find something or some way of delivering the lines or playing the scene that you wouldn't normally expect. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-grunberg/i-always-try-to-find-something-or-some-way-of-delivering-the-lines-or/) [Greg Grunberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-grunberg/) > [I want to surprise people and do different things and maybe do something that's not quite financially rewarding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-want-to-surprise-people-and-do-different-things-and-maybe-do/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) > [When it comes down to it, it's giving people a good night out in a basic way and I think my company guarantees that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bourne/when-it-comes-down-to-it-it-s-giving-people-a-good-night-out-in-a/) [Matthew Bourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bourne/) > [It is still a surprise when people tell me that I've had an influence on them, particularly when it's someone I really respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/it-is-still-a-surprise-when-people-tell-me-that-i-ve-had-an-influence/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [I want to surprise people with my work every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saqib-saleem/i-want-to-surprise-people-with-my-work-every-time/) [Saqib Saleem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saqib-saleem/) > [I do all that I can to surprise people and make things unpredictable because that is what makes wrestling fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-do-all-that-i-can-to-surprise-people-and-make-things-unpredictable/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [We mustn't be traditional in the way we communicate with people - especially with the Establishment. We should surprise people by saying new things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/we-mustn-t-be-traditional-in-the-way-we-communicate-with-people/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [I do like to shock and surprise people. When it's all in good fun, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-warrick/i-do-like-to-shock-and-surprise-people-when-it-s-all-in-good-fun-of/) [Ruth Warrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-warrick/) ## More by Michael Cerveris > [I was a big 'X-Files' fan. I always lamented that I never got to be on 'The X-Files'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-was-a-big-x-files-fan-i-always-lamented-that-i-never-got-to-be-on/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) > [I've never been good at making smart career decisions or doing the right strategic thing, and yet somehow it's all led me to exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-ve-never-been-good-at-making-smart-career-decisions-or-doing-the/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) > [I'm not one of those actors who's very good at having a list of roles that I want to play someday - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-m-not-one-of-those-actors-who-s-very-good-at-having-a-list-of-roles/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) > [For music, I always just played music myself - and, I had rock bands and wrote songs and put bands together that were loud,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/for-music-i-always-just-played-music-myself-and-i-had-rock-bands-and/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) > [My father is a university professor so when the schools needed a little kid for their productions I was often the kid they used.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/my-father-is-a-university-professor-so-when-the-schools-needed-a/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) > [My life/career is more filled with left-field thrills than I could ever have hoped for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/my-life-career-is-more-filled-with-left-field-thrills-than-i-could/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) > [I studied voice at Yale with Blake Stern from the music school, and he had me singing German lieder and Italian songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-studied-voice-at-yale-with-blake-stern-from-the-music-school-and-he/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) > [For me, awards are not what I really care about - the work is what I really care about. And, I am especially proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/for-me-awards-are-not-what-i-really-care-about-the-work-is-what-i/) [Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) [Explore all 9 Michael Cerveris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [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/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do feel pressure. I have always been able to surprise people because they didn't know to expect anything from me. And now people are starting to have expectations.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Cerveris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-able-to-surprise-people-because/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-able-to-surprise-people-because/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/michael-cerveris-44192_able_i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-ab_1058480.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/michael-cerveris-44192_able_i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-ab_1058480.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/michael-cerveris-44192_able_i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-ab_1058480.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do feel pressure. I have always been able to surprise people because they didn't know to expect anything…” — Michael Cerveris", "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": "Michael Cerveris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I do feel pressure. I have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-able-to-surprise-people-because/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/i-do-feel-pressure-i-have-always-been-able-to-surprise-people-because/#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 } } ] } ```