---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Expectations should not always be taken…"
description: "\"Expectations should not always be taken as reality; because you never know when you will be disappointed.\" — Samuel P. Huntington"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/samuel-p-huntington-4547_disappointed_expectations-should-not-always-be-taken_705759.png"
---

#  Expectations should not always be taken as reality…

![“Expectations should not always be taken as reality; because you never know when you will be disappointed.” quote by Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/samuel-p-huntington-4547_disappointed_expectations-should-not-always-be-taken_705759.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/samuel-p-huntington-4547_disappointed_expectations-should-not-always-be-taken_705759.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/samuel-p-huntington-4547_disappointed_expectations-should-not-always-be-taken_705759.png)

> “Expectations should not always be taken as reality; because you never know when you will be disappointed.”

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

## About This Quote

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

Expectations often diverge from actual outcomes, leading to disappointment when reality fails to match.

**In simple terms:** Expectations can mislead you.

Key Takeaway

Check assumptions before acting.

Themes

expectations disappointment reality perception

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

advisory philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal decisions
- business planning
- relationship expectations
- financial investments

Key Concepts

cognitive bias psychology risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- What expectations have you held that proved false?
- How can you test expectations against evidence?

A Different Perspective

People may overestimate control, ignoring uncertainty.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Disappointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed/) [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Expectations Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations-taken-5577452/) [Know Disappointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-disappointed-1376861/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/)

## Related quotes

> [In love, it is better to know and be disappointed, than to not know and always wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-love-it-is-better-to-know-and-be-disappointed-than-to-not-know-and/)

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

> [It's better to know and be disappointed than to never know and wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-better-to-know-and-be-disappointed-than-to-never-know-and-wonder/)

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

> [Its better to know and be disappointed, than to never know and always wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-better-to-know-and-be-disappointed-than-to-never-know-and-always/)

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

> [Sometimes its better to know and be disappointed than to never know and always wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/sometimes-its-better-to-know-and-be-disappointed-than-to-never-know/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [It's better to know and be disappointed than to never know and always wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-better-to-know-and-be-disappointed-than-to-never-know-and-always/)

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

> [The resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder is met with both pride and disappointment by the Civil Rights community. We are proud that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/the-resignation-of-attorney-general-eric-holder-is-met-with-both/)

[Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/)

> [Being disappointed is sometimes an inevitable outcome that no one can control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noelle-scaggs/being-disappointed-is-sometimes-an-inevitable-outcome-that-no-one-can/)

[Noelle Scaggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noelle-scaggs/)

> [“Rather than risking feeling disappointed, they’re choosing to live disappointed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/rather-than-risking-feeling-disappointed-they-re-choosing-to-live/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [I don't put my faith or trust in anyone anymore. After a while you just get tired of being disappointed constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-put-my-faith-or-trust-in-anyone-anymore-after-a-while-you/)

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

> [You can't be disappointed unless you try something to be disappointed over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-keyes/you-can-t-be-disappointed-unless-you-try-something-to-be-disappointed/)

[Evelyn Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-keyes/)

> [“The last speaker alluded to this movement as being that of a few disappointed women. From the first years to which my memory stretches,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-last-speaker-alluded-to-this-movement-as-being-that-of-a-few/)

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

> [When we say no, or when we follow our dreams or true callings - people might be disappointed in our choices. Allowing people their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-kane/when-we-say-no-or-when-we-follow-our-dreams-or-true-callings-people/)

[Christine Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-kane/)

> [Disappointment is temporary. Only your thought about it is permanent. Change your mind about what has disappointed you and you will change your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/disappointment-is-temporary-only-your-thought-about-it-is-permanent/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [“She sat at the little table, her expression like that of a child digesting failed plans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-lawrence/she-sat-at-the-little-table-her-expression-like-that-of-a-child/)

[R.J. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-lawrence/)

> [It's core to my beliefs now: Sometimes in being given a challenge, you're actually being given a real opportunity, and a lot of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-graham/it-s-core-to-my-beliefs-now-sometimes-in-being-given-a-challenge-you/)

[Lauren Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-graham/)

## More by Samuel P. Huntington

> [Countries will cooperate with each other, and are more likely to cooperate with each other when they share a common culture, as is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/countries-will-cooperate-with-each-other-and-are-more-likely-to/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Also, of course, for most of this time most Americans thought of America as a white country with, at best, only a very segregated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/also-of-course-for-most-of-this-time-most-americans-thought-of/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [These transnationalists have little need for national loyalty, view national boundaries as obstacles that thankfully are vanishing, and see national governments as residues from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/these-transnationalists-have-little-need-for-national-loyalty-view/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Civilizations evolve over time, and most scholars of civilization, including people like Carol Quigley, argue that they go through periods of warring states, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/civilizations-evolve-over-time-and-most-scholars-of-civilization/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [First of all, we haven't always welcomed immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/first-of-all-we-haven-t-always-welcomed-immigrants/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Hispanics speak Spanish or Portuguese, which are languages we Americans are familiar with, so it doesn't seem to pose the same types of problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/hispanics-speak-spanish-or-portuguese-which-are-languages-we/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Israel has military capabilities including nuclear weapons, far surpassing any other power in the Middle East, but it's a small country. The rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/israel-has-military-capabilities-including-nuclear-weapons-far/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [America doesn't border on Muslim countries. European countries do and that seems to be a fundamental difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/america-doesn-t-border-on-muslim-countries-european-countries-do-and/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Except under rare circumstances, I don't write responses to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/except-under-rare-circumstances-i-don-t-write-responses-to-criticism/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Religiosity distinguishes America from most other Western societies. Americans are also overwhelmingly Christian, which distinguishes them from many non-Western peoples. Their religiosity leads Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/religiosity-distinguishes-america-from-most-other-western-societies/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Both sides are divided and Western countries collaborate with Muslim countries and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/both-sides-are-divided-and-western-countries-collaborate-with-muslim/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [ Some Westerners \[…\] have argued that the West does not have problems with Islam but only with violent Islamist extremists. Fourteen hundred years of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/some-westerners-have-argued-that-the-west-does-not-have-problems-with/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [What are the prospects for an Arab state serving a leading role comparable to the role that other states place in other regions? There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/what-are-the-prospects-for-an-arab-state-serving-a-leading-role/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Obviously there are divisions within the West and divisions within Islam - there are different sects, different communities, different countries. So neither one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/obviously-there-are-divisions-within-the-west-and-divisions-within/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

[Explore all 109 Samuel P. Huntington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

## More Disappointed quotes

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/)

[Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/)

> [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/)

[Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/)

> [I don't hate you, i m just disappointed you turned into everything you said you'd never be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-hate-you-i-m-just-disappointed-you-turned-into-everything-you/)

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

> [Every producer in Hollywood had set me down as a type. I was both amused and disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-lugosi/every-producer-in-hollywood-had-set-me-down-as-a-type-i-was-both/)

[Bela Lugosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-lugosi/)

> [I just hate meetings. Though it's true that once you've made a lot of money, people around you might be full of ideas about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-just-hate-meetings-though-it-s-true-that-once-you-ve-made-a-lot-of/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [You wanted to become a doctor to help people and feel better at the end of your job, I think, watching them, as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/you-wanted-to-become-a-doctor-to-help-people-and-feel-better-at-the/)

[Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/)

> [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 am far from any intention to limit curiosity, or confine the labours of learning to arts of immediate and necessary use. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-am-far-from-any-intention-to-limit-curiosity-or-confine-the-labours/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [I want violence. I want punching in the face. I'm disappointed in Trump supporters for not punching enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-want-violence-i-want-punching-in-the-face-i-m-disappointed-in-trump/)

[Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/)

> [It's core to my beliefs now: Sometimes in being given a challenge, you're actually being given a real opportunity, and a lot of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-graham/it-s-core-to-my-beliefs-now-sometimes-in-being-given-a-challenge-you/)

[Lauren Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-graham/)

> [Lamon, that speech won't scour. It is a flat failure and the people are disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/lamon-that-speech-won-t-scour-it-is-a-flat-failure-and-the-people-are/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Never aim to be proactive with your day. That way, if you end up getting stuff done, you’re never disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-blagden/never-aim-to-be-proactive-with-your-day-that-way-if-you-end-up/)

[George Blagden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-blagden/)

> [I am disappointed by this controversy surrounding A Million Little Pieces because I rely on the publishers to define the category that a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-am-disappointed-by-this-controversy-surrounding-a-million-little/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

> [It is always the time of hope, confidence and love. Everything passes; love remains. We will not be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-maria-martini/it-is-always-the-time-of-hope-confidence-and-love-everything-passes/)

[Carlo Maria Martini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-maria-martini/)

[Browse all 1,145 Disappointed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Expectations should not always be taken as reality; because you never know when you will be disappointed.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Samuel P. Huntington"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/expectations-should-not-always-be-taken-as-reality-because-you-never/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Disappointed"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/expectations-should-not-always-be-taken-as-reality-because-you-never/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/samuel-p-huntington-4547_disappointed_expectations-should-not-always-be-taken_705759.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/samuel-p-huntington-4547_disappointed_expectations-should-not-always-be-taken_705759.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/samuel-p-huntington-4547_disappointed_expectations-should-not-always-be-taken_705759.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Expectations should not always be taken as reality; because you never know when you will be disappointed.” — Samuel P. Huntington",
                "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 P. Huntington",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Expectations should not always be taken...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/expectations-should-not-always-be-taken-as-reality-because-you-never/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/expectations-should-not-always-be-taken-as-reality-because-you-never/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```