--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are our own greatest surprise." description: "\"We are our own greatest surprise.\" — Paulo Coelho" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/paulo-coelho-10_surprise_we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise-1850729_1850729.jpg" --- # We are our own greatest surprise. ![“We are our own greatest surprise.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/paulo-coelho-10_surprise_we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise-1850729_1850729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/paulo-coelho-10_surprise_we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise-1850729_1850729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/paulo-coelho-10_surprise_we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise-1850729_1850729.jpg) > “We are our own greatest surprise.” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests that we often surprise ourselves with hidden potential. **In simple terms:** We are our own greatest surprise. Key Takeaway Explore your untapped abilities. Themes self‑discovery potential surprise Mood reflective encouraging Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career changes - creative projects - life transitions Key Concepts personal growth inner potential Questions to Reflect On - What hidden strengths have you uncovered? - How can you nurture unexpected talents? A Different Perspective Self‑discovery can be uncomfortable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) [Greatest Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-surprise-553610/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) ## Related quotes > [You showed me something I couldn't see, I don't wanna hide in the shadow, all I know is that I can't stop loving you…you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fash/you-showed-me-something-i-couldn-t-see-i-don-t-wanna-hide-in-the/) [Fash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fash/) > ["What is the greatest surprise you have found about life?" a university student asked me several years ago. "The brevity of it," I replied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/what-is-the-greatest-surprise-you-have-found-about-life-a-university/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Fate is the greatest cause of change anywhere, it can be the greatest surprise, and can be the greatest killer at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-lofland/fate-is-the-greatest-cause-of-change-anywhere-it-can-be-the-greatest/) [Miguel Lofland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-lofland/) > [The whole business was like a child's toy that you could buy at the dime store, all built in this wonderful way that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-delbruck/the-whole-business-was-like-a-child-s-toy-that-you-could-buy-at-the/) [Max Delbruck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-delbruck/) > [Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/growing-old-has-been-the-greatest-surprise-of-my-life/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The greatest surprise in life to me is the brevity of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-greatest-surprise-in-life-to-me-is-the-brevity-of-life/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Your the greatest surprise of my life, everthing change when you came into me. I Love you more than love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fash/your-the-greatest-surprise-of-my-life-everthing-change-when-you-came/) [Fash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fash/) > [“If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise. If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-good-things-are-coming-they-will-be-a-pleasant-surprise-if-bad/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I don't mind people want to think Muhammad is the greatest fighter around. Everybody wants to make him great because of his mouth, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/i-don-t-mind-people-want-to-think-muhammad-is-the-greatest-fighter/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [The way the world underestimates me will be my greatest weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calista-flockhart/the-way-the-world-underestimates-me-will-be-my-greatest-weapon/) [Calista Flockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calista-flockhart/) > [The hard-working Mexican tries to get up here looking for opportunities because America's one of the greatest countries in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ruiz-jr/the-hard-working-mexican-tries-to-get-up-here-looking-for/) [Andy Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ruiz-jr/) > [Shawn Michaels, to me and to so many people, is just the greatest in-ring performer of all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/shawn-michaels-to-me-and-to-so-many-people-is-just-the-greatest-in/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [The last goal I ever scored in professional football was at Goodison Park - a glancing header for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sutton/the-last-goal-i-ever-scored-in-professional-football-was-at-goodison/) [Chris Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sutton/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Greatest quotes > [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [The last goal I ever scored in professional football was at Goodison Park - a glancing header for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sutton/the-last-goal-i-ever-scored-in-professional-football-was-at-goodison/) [Chris Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sutton/) > [Shawn Michaels, to me and to so many people, is just the greatest in-ring performer of all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/shawn-michaels-to-me-and-to-so-many-people-is-just-the-greatest-in/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [The hard-working Mexican tries to get up here looking for opportunities because America's one of the greatest countries in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ruiz-jr/the-hard-working-mexican-tries-to-get-up-here-looking-for/) [Andy Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ruiz-jr/) > [The way the world underestimates me will be my greatest weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calista-flockhart/the-way-the-world-underestimates-me-will-be-my-greatest-weapon/) [Calista Flockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calista-flockhart/) > [I don't mind people want to think Muhammad is the greatest fighter around. Everybody wants to make him great because of his mouth, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/i-don-t-mind-people-want-to-think-muhammad-is-the-greatest-fighter/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [“The world is witnessing one of the greatest frauds the Florida government has ever engaged in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-world-is-witnessing-one-of-the-greatest-frauds-the-florida/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [People used to say my son looked like a Mexican Biggie. And when he was first born, memories of Biggie... you know, we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/people-used-to-say-my-son-looked-like-a-mexican-biggie-and-when-he/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [My greatest work comes in the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-barry/my-greatest-work-comes-in-the-community/) [Marion Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-barry/) > [“The greatest faith is the willingness to ask in the first place, all evidence to the contrary. Faith not just in God, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/the-greatest-faith-is-the-willingness-to-ask-in-the-first-place-all/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [One of the greatest of all sources of misery is comparing yourself to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhat/one-of-the-greatest-of-all-sources-of-misery-is-comparing-yourself-to/) [Zhat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhat/) > [The greatest failure is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/the-greatest-failure-is-the-failure-to-try/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [To die in battle would be my greatest joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramzan-kadyrov/to-die-in-battle-would-be-my-greatest-joy/) [Ramzan Kadyrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramzan-kadyrov/) [Browse all 2,783 Greatest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are our own greatest surprise.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Greatest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/paulo-coelho-10_surprise_we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise-1850729_1850729.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/paulo-coelho-10_surprise_we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise-1850729_1850729.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/paulo-coelho-10_surprise_we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise-1850729_1850729.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are our own greatest surprise.” — Paulo Coelho", "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": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are our own greatest surprise.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-our-own-greatest-surprise/#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 } } ] } ```