--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Their lives would not turn out as they…" description: "\"“Their lives would not turn out as they dreamed. I understood this, even as mine had turned out far better than I would have hoped, had I permitted mys..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/vanessa-diffenbaugh-11567_dreamed_their-lives-would-not-turn-out-as-they-d_3154502.jpg" --- # Their lives would not turn out as they dreamed. I… ![“Their lives would not turn out as they dreamed. I understood this, even as mine had turned out far better than I would have hoped, had I permitted myself to hope for anything at all. I was the exception, I knew, and even my own good fortune I believed to be a fleeting moment in what would be a…” quote by Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/vanessa-diffenbaugh-11567_dreamed_their-lives-would-not-turn-out-as-they-d_3154502.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/vanessa-diffenbaugh-11567_dreamed_their-lives-would-not-turn-out-as-they-d_3154502.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/vanessa-diffenbaugh-11567_dreamed_their-lives-would-not-turn-out-as-they-d_3154502.jpg) > ““Their lives would not turn out as they dreamed. I understood this, even as mine had turned out far better than I would have hoped, had I permitted myself to hope for anything at all. I was the exception, I knew, and even my own good fortune I believed to be a fleeting moment in what would be a long, hard, solitary life.”” [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hope can be fragile; even when life exceeds expectations, fear of future disappointment can lead to emotional isolation. **In simple terms:** Hope is fragile and can cause isolation. Key Takeaway Balance hope with realistic expectations. Themes hope loneliness expectation resilience Mood introspective hopeful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal growth - therapy - creative writing - support groups Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What expectations are you holding that limit joy? - How can you cultivate resilience without losing hope? A Different Perspective Excessive hope may set up for disappointment; isolation can worsen mental health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believed Fleeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believed-fleeting-5677846/) [Dreamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed/) [Dreamed Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed-understood-5677843/) [Fortune Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune-believed-5677844/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Permitted Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permitted-hope-5677845/) [Solitary life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitary-life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“For eight years I dreamed of fire. Trees ignited as I passed them; oceans burned. The sugary smoke settled in my hair as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/for-eight-years-i-dreamed-of-fire-trees-ignited-as-i-passed-them/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [As far as living a solitary lifestyle, it takes just one person to dance alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-dansky/as-far-as-living-a-solitary-lifestyle-it-takes-just-one-person-to/) [Martin Dansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-dansky/) > [Simply wait, be quiet, still The world will freely offer itself to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/simply-wait-be-quiet-still-the-world-will-freely-offer-itself-to-you/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Despite my solitary life, I have found infinite joy in books and writing, and am by far too much interested in the affairs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/despite-my-solitary-life-i-have-found-infinite-joy-in-books-and/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [“I was going to do it. I was really going to do something selfless for once in my life since Cat and Brock happened.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/i-was-going-to-do-it-i-was-really-going-to-do-something-selfless-for/) [L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/) > [A solitary life cherishes mere fancies until they become manias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/a-solitary-life-cherishes-mere-fancies-until-they-become-manias/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [“For it was important to have things to tell which interested your friends. And Miss Hearne had always been able to find interesting happenings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-moore/for-it-was-important-to-have-things-to-tell-which-interested-your/) [Brian Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-moore/) > [“uve spent ur whole life by urself, with urself, and so u have learned how to know urself and how to love ur life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jomny-sun/uve-spent-ur-whole-life-by-urself-with-urself-and-so-u-have-learned/) [Jomny Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jomny-sun/) > [With one long breath, caught and held in his chest, he fought his sadness over his solitary life. Don't cry, you idiot! Live or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/with-one-long-breath-caught-and-held-in-his-chest-he-fought-his/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“No story, including this one, is a straight line unraveling smoothly from start to finish. Every story is a tangle of stories within stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock-i-ll-watch-the-moon/no-story-including-this-one-is-a-straight-line-unraveling-smoothly/) [Ann Tatlock I'll Watch the Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock-i-ll-watch-the-moon/) > [If you have high-functioning autism, you may well have a lot of autistic traits but if you've got a particular lifestyle where it's possibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/if-you-have-high-functioning-autism-you-may-well-have-a-lot-of/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [I always thought I'd make a good parent, but I was single and led a solitary life for many, many years. Then I met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/i-always-thought-i-d-make-a-good-parent-but-i-was-single-and-led-a/) [Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/) > [“I see the advantages to being newly single every day!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-see-the-advantages-to-being-newly-single-every-day/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Apart from such visits, for the first time in her life Eliza was truly alone. In the beginning, unfamiliar sounds, nocturnal sounds, disturbed her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/apart-from-such-visits-for-the-first-time-in-her-life-eliza-was-truly/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [I guess part of the hit-man appeal is the solitude. Everybody is lured to the idea of the solitary life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-guess-part-of-the-hit-man-appeal-is-the-solitude-everybody-is-lured/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) ## More by Vanessa Diffenbaugh > [“Here you are, obsessed with romantic language-a language invented for expression between lovers-and you use it to spread animosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/here-you-are-obsessed-with-romantic-language-a-language-invented-for/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“I pinched tendrils of periwinkle at the roots until they hung in long, limp strands, and grabbed a dozen bright white spider mums. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/i-pinched-tendrils-of-periwinkle-at-the-roots-until-they-hung-in-long/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“So, what’s your secret?” Renata asked. I squinted my eyes in question, tightened my shoulders. “To staying thin?” she asked. “When you eat like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/so-what-s-your-secret-renata-asked-i-squinted-my-eyes-in-question/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“I studied the way the individual flowers clustered around the single stalk, their sharp points fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. Something about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/i-studied-the-way-the-individual-flowers-clustered-around-the-single/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [Anyone can grow into something beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/anyone-can-grow-into-something-beautiful/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“I had been loyal to nothing except the language of flowers. If I started lying about it, there would be nothing in my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/i-had-been-loyal-to-nothing-except-the-language-of-flowers-if-i/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“some believe lily of the valley brings a return of happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/some-believe-lily-of-the-valley-brings-a-return-of-happiness/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“Moss grows without roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/moss-grows-without-roots/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“Do you really think you’re the only human being alive who is unforgivably flawed? Who’s been hurt almost to the point of breaking?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/do-you-really-think-you-re-the-only-human-being-alive-who-is/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“Have you ever given anyone a red rose?" Grant asked. I looked at him as if he was trying to force-feed me foxglove. "Moss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/have-you-ever-given-anyone-a-red-rose-grant-asked-i-looked-at-him-as/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“Elizabeth went from stand to stand as if I wasn't there, exchanging cash for heavy bags of produce: pink-and-white-striped beans, tan-colored pumpkins with long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/elizabeth-went-from-stand-to-stand-as-if-i-wasn-t-there-exchanging/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [She was perfect. I knew this the moment she emerged from my body, white and wet and wailing. Beyond the requisite ten fingers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/she-was-perfect-i-knew-this-the-moment-she-emerged-from-my-body-white/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“What're you reading?" "Gertrude Stein." I shook my head. I'd never heard of her. "The poet?" he asked. "You know, 'A rose is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/what-re-you-reading-gertrude-stein-i-shook-my-head-i-d-never-heard-of/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“While I worked, I thought about Earl's wife, tried to bring forth an image of the once-passionate woman: her tired, withdrawn, unsuspecting face. Would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/while-i-worked-i-thought-about-earl-s-wife-tried-to-bring-forth-an/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“When my hunger grew to the point of distraction, I climbed onto buses and rode to the Marina, Fillmore Street, or Pacific Heights. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/when-my-hunger-grew-to-the-point-of-distraction-i-climbed-onto-buses/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) [Explore all 56 Vanessa Diffenbaugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) ## More Dreamed quotes > [I dreamed for a lover, I dreamed for a friend, and in the end I got a lover and a friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dreamed-for-a-lover-i-dreamed-for-a-friend-and-in-the-end-i-got-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [“My mom believed that you make your own luck. Over the stove she had hung these old, maroon painted letters that spell out, “MANIFEST.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-laybourne/my-mom-believed-that-you-make-your-own-luck-over-the-stove-she-had/) [Emmy Laybourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-laybourne/) > [A long time ago when I was very little, I dreamed about being on stage. Some people told me I would never be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-potter/a-long-time-ago-when-i-was-very-little-i-dreamed-about-being-on-stage/) [Lauren Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-potter/) > [I've always dreamed big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-collins/i-ve-always-dreamed-big/) [Gemma Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-collins/) > [As a precocious teen I dreamed of being Graham Greene. Well, as it turned out, I never wrote a great novel, sadly, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-burchill/as-a-precocious-teen-i-dreamed-of-being-graham-greene-well-as-it/) [Julie Burchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-burchill/) > [My mother dreamed dreams for Joaquin and for me long before we could dream them for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-castro/my-mother-dreamed-dreams-for-joaquin-and-for-me-long-before-we-could/) [Julian Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-castro/) > [“It was a world that most fans never saw. One that many dreamed of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-mensch/it-was-a-world-that-most-fans-never-saw-one-that-many-dreamed-of/) [Louise Mensch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-mensch/) > [I dreamed big. So it's so great to be living my own dream. 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