---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The husband who decides to surprise his…"
description: "\"The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself.\" — Voltaire"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/voltaire-173_husband_the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his_1014481.png"
---

#  The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very…

![“The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/voltaire-173_husband_the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his_1014481.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/voltaire-173_husband_the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his_1014481.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/voltaire-173_husband_the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his_1014481.png)

> “The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself.”

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

## About This Quote

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

Surprise plans often backfire, revealing the unpredictability of intentions and the need for humility.

**In simple terms:** Surprises can surprise the giver too.

Key Takeaway

Expect the unexpected in relationships.

Themes

relationships humility surprise communication expectation

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

personal cautionary

When to use this quote

- marriage proposals
- anniversary plans
- gift giving

Key Concepts

unintended outcomes self‑awareness relationship dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance surprise with consideration?
- What signals help gauge partner preferences?

A Different Perspective

Surprises can cause embarrassment if misaligned.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/)

## Related quotes

> [Behind every successful enterprise, there is a supporting wife and surprised in-laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cook/behind-every-successful-enterprise-there-is-a-supporting-wife-and/)

[Scott Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cook/)

> [“the husband decides he will motivate his wife to become more respectful by acting in unloving ways. This usually proves about as successful as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emerson-eggerichs/the-husband-decides-he-will-motivate-his-wife-to-become-more/)

[Emerson Eggerichs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emerson-eggerichs/)

> [Back of every achievement is a proud wife and a surprised mother-in-law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-hays/back-of-every-achievement-is-a-proud-wife-and-a-surprised-mother-in/)

Brooks Hays

> [Behind every successful man is a proud wife and a surprised mother-in-law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/behind-every-successful-man-is-a-proud-wife-and-a-surprised-mother-in/)

[Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/)

> [“Nobody is exempt from the surprises of life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/nobody-is-exempt-from-the-surprises-of-life/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [I surprise myself that I'm not dead in the gutter somewhere, surprised that I haven't given up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/i-surprise-myself-that-i-m-not-dead-in-the-gutter-somewhere-surprised/)

[Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/)

> [“I may be surprised. But I don't think I will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-strauss/i-may-be-surprised-but-i-don-t-think-i-will-be/)

[Andrew Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-strauss/)

> [“When I came home I expected a surprise and there was no surprise for me, so of course, I was surprised.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/when-i-came-home-i-expected-a-surprise-and-there-was-no-surprise-for/)

[Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/)

> [I had a pregnancy that wasn't private... A lot of people had their opinions about it. They were surprised that I came up pregnant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-london/i-had-a-pregnancy-that-wasn-t-private-a-lot-of-people-had-their/)

[Lauren London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-london/)

> [“A pretty sight; it would have surprised me, if my capacity for surprise wasn't flattened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-carey/a-pretty-sight-it-would-have-surprised-me-if-my-capacity-for-surprise/)

[Jacqueline Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-carey/)

> [Some friends said they weren't surprised to find out Napoleon and I were related, but it came as quite a shock to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-conti/some-friends-said-they-weren-t-surprised-to-find-out-napoleon-and-i/)

[Tom Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-conti/)

> [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/)

[Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/)

> [ David Cameron was wrong on this \[Brexit\]. He didn't get the mood of his country right. He was very surprised to see what happened. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/david-cameron-was-wrong-on-this-brexit-he-didn-t-get-the-mood-of-his/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/)

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

> [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

## More by Voltaire

> [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Fanaticism, to which men are so much inclined, has always served not only to render them more brutalized but more wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/fanaticism-to-which-men-are-so-much-inclined-has-always-served-not/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good; we do the best we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/we-re-neither-pure-nor-wise-nor-good-we-do-the-best-we-know/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-with-books-as-with-men-a-very-small-number-play-a-great-part/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/meslier-was-the-most-singular-phenomenon-ever-seen-among-all-the/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Being unable to make people more reasonable, I preferred to be happy away from them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/being-unable-to-make-people-more-reasonable-i-preferred-to-be-happy/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-his-highness-sends-a-ship-to-egypt-does-he-trouble-his-head/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/madness-is-to-think-of-too-many-things-in-succession-too-fast-or-of/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/god-gave-us-the-gift-of-life-it-is-up-to-us-to-give-ourselves-the/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-not-inequality-which-is-the-real-misfortune-it-is-dependence/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Providence has given us hope and sleep as a compensation for the many cares of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/providence-has-given-us-hope-and-sleep-as-a-compensation-for-the-many/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Men use thought only to justify their wrong doings, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/men-use-thought-only-to-justify-their-wrong-doings-and-employ-speech/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/work-spares-us-from-three-evils-boredom-vice-and-need/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

[Explore all 934 Voltaire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

## More Husband quotes

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

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

> [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/)

[Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/)

> [While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/while-husbands-and-lovers-in-the-stories-are-of-all-kinds-ranging/)

[Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/)

> [My husband really loves my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-curry/my-husband-really-loves-my-feet/)

[Ayesha Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-curry/)

> [An ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booth-tarkington/an-ideal-wife-is-any-woman-who-has-an-ideal-husband/)

[Booth Tarkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booth-tarkington/)

> [There are few husbands whom the wife cannot win in the long run, by patience and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-of-valois/there-are-few-husbands-whom-the-wife-cannot-win-in-the-long-run-by/)

[Margaret of Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-of-valois/)

> [To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-husband-is-to-use-with-care-to-keep-to-save-to-make-last-to/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Sonny Von Bulow, who said to her husband Claus on their honeymoon, Stop needling me. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/sonny-von-bulow-who-said-to-her-husband-claus-on-their-honeymoon-stop/)

[Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/)

> [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [“I am happier when I love than when I am loved. I adore my husband, my son, and my grandchildren, my mother, my dog,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-am-happier-when-i-love-than-when-i-am-loved-i-adore-my-husband-my/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [Men often joke about this assignment (I Peter 3:7): 'Who can understand a woman?' God has answered the question loud and clear. You can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stu-weber/men-often-joke-about-this-assignment-i-peter-3-7-who-can-understand-a/)

[Stu Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stu-weber/)

> [I would like not only to have a successful band, but I want to have children, a home, and a husband. Two or three.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-corr/i-would-like-not-only-to-have-a-successful-band-but-i-want-to-have/)

[Caroline Corr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-corr/)

[Browse all 4,389 Husband quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Voltaire"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his-wife-is-often-very-much/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Husband"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his-wife-is-often-very-much/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/voltaire-173_husband_the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his_1014481.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/voltaire-173_husband_the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his_1014481.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/voltaire-173_husband_the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his_1014481.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself.” — Voltaire",
                "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": "Voltaire",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The husband who decides to surprise...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his-wife-is-often-very-much/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-husband-who-decides-to-surprise-his-wife-is-often-very-much/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
