--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Expectation improperly indulged in must…" description: "\"Expectation improperly indulged in must end in disappointment.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/samuel-johnson-50_disappointment_expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must_3142391.png" --- # Expectation improperly indulged in must end in… ![“Expectation improperly indulged in must end in disappointment.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/samuel-johnson-50_disappointment_expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must_3142391.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/samuel-johnson-50_disappointment_expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must_3142391.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/samuel-johnson-50_disappointment_expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must_3142391.png) > “Expectation improperly indulged in must end in disappointment.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expectations that are excessive lead inevitably to let down. **In simple terms:** High expectations cause disappointment. Key Takeaway Temper expectations. Themes expectations disappointment moderation Mood cautious reflective Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - personal goals - relationships - career planning - financial investments Key Concepts psychology risk management Questions to Reflect On - Do you set realistic expectations? - How can you balance ambition and practicality? A Different Perspective Overly low expectations can cause missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) ## Related quotes > [We are like sculptors, constantly carving out of others the image we long for, need, love or desire, often against reality, against their benefit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/we-are-like-sculptors-constantly-carving-out-of-others-the-image-we/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [She wanted none of those days to end, and it was always with disappointment that she watched the darkness stride forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/she-wanted-none-of-those-days-to-end-and-it-was-always-with/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [He who expects much will be often disappointed; yet disappointment seldom cures us of expectation, or has any other effect than that of producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/he-who-expects-much-will-be-often-disappointed-yet-disappointment/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is generally known, that he who expects much will be often disappointed; yet disappointment seldom cures us of expectation, or has any effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-generally-known-that-he-who-expects-much-will-be-often/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Relation makes expectation & Expectation kill$ relation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ank/relation-makes-expectation-expectation-kill-relation/) Ank > [The best way to avoid disappointment is to not expect anything from anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-way-to-avoid-disappointment-is-to-not-expect-anything-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sadness is just an outcome of expectation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-chatto/sadness-is-just-an-outcome-of-expectation/) [Cath Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-chatto/) > [You will never fail until you stop trying. Disappointment is only for those who expect to much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-fail-until-you-stop-trying-disappointment-is-only-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“but when you have been nourishing your soul on expectation, reality is apt to be disappointing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ambler/but-when-you-have-been-nourishing-your-soul-on-expectation-reality-is/) [Eric Ambler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ambler/) > [“Expectation has brought me disappointment. Disappointment has brought me wisdom. Acceptance, gratitude and appreciation have brought me joy and fulfilment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/expectation-has-brought-me-disappointment-disappointment-has-brought/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [Expectation is the root of all heartache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/expectation-is-the-root-of-all-heartache/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In life, don't expect anything from anyone. Because expectation, when not fulfilled, gives you pain. When you get something without expecting it, It's gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-life-don-t-expect-anything-from-anyone-because-expectation-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't ever love anything too much, or expect too much it will just end up disappointing you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-ever-love-anything-too-much-or-expect-too-much-it-will-just-end/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [People will let you down in this life, promises will be broken, you should expect less of others and trust more in yourself. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/people-will-let-you-down-in-this-life-promises-will-be-broken-you/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [None of the projects or designs which exercise the mind of man are equally subject to obstructions and disappointments with the pursuit of fame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/none-of-the-projects-or-designs-which-exercise-the-mind-of-man-are/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [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/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Disappointment quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“My earthly body has been a terrible disappointment to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/my-earthly-body-has-been-a-terrible-disappointment-to-me/) [Frédéric Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [In trying not to disappoint others; we disappoint ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-vermaak/in-trying-not-to-disappoint-others-we-disappoint-ourselves/) [Geraldine Vermaak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-vermaak/) > [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [In all disappointments sympathy is a great balm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/in-all-disappointments-sympathy-is-a-great-balm/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [It is sometimes said that because of our past we, as a people, expect too much and set our sights too high. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-sometimes-said-that-because-of-our-past-we-as-a-people-expect/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I'm talking to anyone who has been dumped - have not gotten the job you really wanted or have received those horrible rejection letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-m-talking-to-anyone-who-has-been-dumped-have-not-gotten-the-job-you/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Stop blaming others, whatever happens to you is nobody's fault if you get hurt because of disappointment is not the end of your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/stop-blaming-others-whatever-happens-to-you-is-nobody-s-fault-if-you/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [When disappointments knock you down, get back up and go again because out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-disappointments-knock-you-down-get-back-up-and-go-again-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,467 Disappointment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Expectation improperly indulged in must end in disappointment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must-end-in-disappointment/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disappointment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must-end-in-disappointment/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/samuel-johnson-50_disappointment_expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must_3142391.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/samuel-johnson-50_disappointment_expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must_3142391.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/samuel-johnson-50_disappointment_expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must_3142391.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Expectation improperly indulged in must end in disappointment.” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Expectation improperly indulged in must end...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must-end-in-disappointment/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/expectation-improperly-indulged-in-must-end-in-disappointment/#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 } } ] } ```