---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't live down to expectations. Go out…"
description: "\"Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.\" — Wendy Wasserstein"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/wendy-wasserstein-17736_expectations_don-t-live-down-to-expectations-go-out-t_1911247.png"
---

#  Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do…

![“Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.” quote by Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/wendy-wasserstein-17736_expectations_don-t-live-down-to-expectations-go-out-t_1911247.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/wendy-wasserstein-17736_expectations_don-t-live-down-to-expectations-go-out-t_1911247.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/wendy-wasserstein-17736_expectations_don-t-live-down-to-expectations-go-out-t_1911247.png)

> “Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.”

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

## About This Quote

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

Do not limit yourself to others' expectations; pursue extraordinary achievements.

**In simple terms:** Ignore expectations, aim for greatness.

Key Takeaway

Act boldly beyond what others anticipate.

Themes

ambition self‑actualization expectation defiance

Mood

inspired confident

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- career
- art
- community projects
- personal goals

Key Concepts

existentialism motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- What would you do if fear vanished?
- Who can support your remarkable path?

A Different Perspective

Fear of failure may still hold you back.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/)

## Related quotes

> [Well, I'm not here to live up to anyone else's expectations-I'm here to live up to mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/well-i-m-not-here-to-live-up-to-anyone-else-s-expectations-i-m-here/)

[Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/)

> [“we don’t have to live up to the expectations of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-foster/we-don-t-have-to-live-up-to-the-expectations-of-others/)

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> [I do my thing and you do yours. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-my-thing-and-you-do-yours-i-am-not-in-this-world-to-live-up-to/)

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

> [You can never live up to everyone's expectations, but you can live up to your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varsha-sharma/you-can-never-live-up-to-everyone-s-expectations-but-you-can-live-up/)

[Varsha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varsha-sharma/)

> [I had such high expectations of myself. I was going to be the best mother, the best housewife, the best entertainer, the best nurse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/i-had-such-high-expectations-of-myself-i-was-going-to-be-the-best/)

[Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/)

> [Everything this series is being built up to be - I think it's going to live up to those expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hayden/everything-this-series-is-being-built-up-to-be-i-think-it-s-going-to/)

[Matthew Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hayden/)

> [“All other things being equal, you will generally live up or down to expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dilworth/all-other-things-being-equal-you-will-generally-live-up-or-down-to/)

Mark Dilworth

> [I can't think of anything worse, really, than to try to live up to someone else's expectations of what you should be. You don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chapman/i-can-t-think-of-anything-worse-really-than-to-try-to-live-up-to/)

[Tracy Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chapman/)

> [You cannot live with expectations because life has no obligation to fulfill your desires. You can live with an open heart, but you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/you-cannot-live-with-expectations-because-life-has-no-obligation-to/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [Fans always have an opinion of their own. We only try to live up to their expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akhil-akkineni/fans-always-have-an-opinion-of-their-own-we-only-try-to-live-up-to/)

[Akhil Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akhil-akkineni/)

> [You don't have to live up to anyone's expectations, just be the best you can be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-don-t-have-to-live-up-to-anyone-s-expectations-just-be-the-best/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [“I don't like to do what people expect. Why should I live up to their expectations instead of my own?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-don-t-like-to-do-what-people-expect-why-should-i-live-up-to-their/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [I will try to live up to expectations of people; will present report card to people in 2019.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/i-will-try-to-live-up-to-expectations-of-people-will-present-report/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [“I do my thing, and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-perls/i-do-my-thing-and-you-do-your-thing-i-am-not-in-this-world-to-live-up/)

Fritz Perls

> [Living up to people's expectations is one thing but it was even harder to live up to my own expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-crown-princess-of-sweden/living-up-to-people-s-expectations-is-one-thing-but-it-was-even/)

[Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-crown-princess-of-sweden/)

## More by Wendy Wasserstein

> [One of the things about what . . . I do - writing plays - is that a poll is not taken before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/one-of-the-things-about-what-i-do-writing-plays-is-that-a-poll-is-not/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [anyone who writes plays is unbelievably persistent, because there isn't a need in the world for plays. Somehow you internally have to feel a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/anyone-who-writes-plays-is-unbelievably-persistent-because-there-isn/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [I really worked at becoming more assertive, and now none of my friends talk to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/i-really-worked-at-becoming-more-assertive-and-now-none-of-my-friends/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [Sometimes I want to clean up my desk and go out and say, respect me, I'm a respectable grown-up, and other times I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/sometimes-i-want-to-clean-up-my-desk-and-go-out-and-say-respect-me-i/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [Personally I don't spend much time thinking about being funny. For me it's always been just a way to get by, a way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/personally-i-don-t-spend-much-time-thinking-about-being-funny-for-me/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [No matter how lonely you get or how many birth announcements you receive, the trick is not to get frightened. There's nothing wrong with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/no-matter-how-lonely-you-get-or-how-many-birth-announcements-you/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [The trick. . .is to find the balance between the bright colors of humor and the serious issues of identity, self-loathing, and the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/the-trick-is-to-find-the-balance-between-the-bright-colors-of-humor/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [being funny is a way of being liked and a way of dealing with sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/being-funny-is-a-way-of-being-liked-and-a-way-of-dealing-with-sadness/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [Being a grownup means assuming responsibility for yourself, for your children, and - here's the big curve - for your parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/being-a-grownup-means-assuming-responsibility-for-yourself-for-your/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [No matter how successful I become as a playwright, my mother would be thrilled to hear me tell her that I'd just lost twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/no-matter-how-successful-i-become-as-a-playwright-my-mother-would-be/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [I very much write from characters. Those people start speaking, and then I have them in the house with me and I live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/i-very-much-write-from-characters-those-people-start-speaking-and/)

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[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [to live life as a writer is a very lucky thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/to-live-life-as-a-writer-is-a-very-lucky-thing/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [Sloth is the fastest-growing lifestyle movement in the world, and that's because it is completely doable. If you embrace sloth, it's the last thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/sloth-is-the-fastest-growing-lifestyle-movement-in-the-world-and-that/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

> [I'm not going to throw my imagination away. I refuse to lie down to expectation. If I can just hold out till I'm thirty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/i-m-not-going-to-throw-my-imagination-away-i-refuse-to-lie-down-to/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

[Explore all 36 Wendy Wasserstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

## More Expectations quotes

> [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/)

[Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/)

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[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [I say this all the time: I've always been really good at managing my expectations so that I'm not let down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-say-this-all-the-time-i-ve-always-been-really-good-at-managing-my/)

[Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/)

> [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/)

[Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/)

> [Keeping up with everybody's expectation is soooo hard!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi/keeping-up-with-everybody-s-expectation-is-soooo-hard/)

[Naomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi/)

> [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [“Does your reality match your expectations? If not it's time to change either your expectations or your reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/does-your-reality-match-your-expectations-if-not-it-s-time-to-change/)

[Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/)

> [Jesus' kingdom was not like the popular expectation. He used the phrase 'kingdom of God' with a different meaning. His kingdom was not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-harpur/jesus-kingdom-was-not-like-the-popular-expectation-he-used-the-phrase/)

[Tom Harpur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-harpur/)

> [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/)

> [It's a good place when all you have is hope and not expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/it-s-a-good-place-when-all-you-have-is-hope-and-not-expectations/)

[Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/)

> [When we give from a place of love, rather than from a place of expectation, more usually comes back to us than we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/when-we-give-from-a-place-of-love-rather-than-from-a-place-of/)

[Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/)

> [Everybody out there watches the show and has expectations of wanting to be an 'Idol', but we're going to teach them how much hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-bice/everybody-out-there-watches-the-show-and-has-expectations-of-wanting/)

[Bo Bice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-bice/)

> [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/)

[Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/)

[Browse all 4,210 Expectations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/)

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