--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't expect others to do your work for…" description: "\"Don't expect others to do your work for you.\" — William Safire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/william-safire-5116_expect_don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for_1423664.png" --- # Don't expect others to do your work for you. ![“Don't expect others to do your work for you.” quote by William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/william-safire-5116_expect_don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for_1423664.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/william-safire-5116_expect_don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for_1423664.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/william-safire-5116_expect_don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for_1423664.png) > “Don't expect others to do your work for you.” [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal responsibility requires not relying on others to complete your tasks. **In simple terms:** Don’t expect others to do your work. Key Takeaway Take ownership of your duties. Themes responsibility work ethic self‑reliance productivity leadership Mood practical instructive Type advice motivational When to use this quote - project planning - team meetings - personal goal setting - performance reviews Key Concepts agency theory motivation task management Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑reliance with teamwork? - What systems encourage shared accountability? A Different Perspective May lead to burnout if not balanced with collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Don Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-expect/) [Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect/) [Expect Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-work-527610/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Expect Nothing, Do Your Work, Celebrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-olitski/expect-nothing-do-your-work-celebrate/) [Jules Olitski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-olitski/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Be a true representative of the goodness in your heart, and don't expect it to be easy or even noticed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/be-a-true-representative-of-the-goodness-in-your-heart-and-don-t/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [I don't expect people who've enjoyed 'Spy Kids' will enjoy 'Repo! the Genetic Opera!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-vega/i-don-t-expect-people-who-ve-enjoyed-spy-kids-will-enjoy-repo-the/) [Alexa Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-vega/) > [“Just don't expect to get what you want unless we decide its what you need - this isn't a hotel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/just-don-t-expect-to-get-what-you-want-unless-we-decide-its-what-you/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [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 expect me to die for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/don-t-expect-me-to-die-for-you/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [“Don't expect too much from people- expect it from yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radostin-chernev/don-t-expect-too-much-from-people-expect-it-from-yourself/) [Radostin Chernev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radostin-chernev/) > [“sometimes we win and sometimes we lose , don't expect anything to get back”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/sometimes-we-win-and-sometimes-we-lose-don-t-expect-anything-to-get/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Don't expect too much and you wont be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/don-t-expect-too-much-and-you-wont-be-disappointed/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [“I don't expect people to know me...I am just someone you need to get along with. I am who I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowman/i-don-t-expect-people-to-know-me-i-am-just-someone-you-need-to-get/) [Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowman/) > [I'm not gonna hate you but don't expect me to love you!!!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/i-m-not-gonna-hate-you-but-don-t-expect-me-to-love-you/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Don't expect a man will try any harder to keep you than he did to get you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-n-blount/don-t-expect-a-man-will-try-any-harder-to-keep-you-than-he-did-to-get/) [Angela N. Blount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-n-blount/) > [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'm calm and composed, and I don't expect a lot from anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naga-chaitanya/i-m-calm-and-composed-and-i-don-t-expect-a-lot-from-anyone/) [Naga Chaitanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naga-chaitanya/) ## More by William Safire > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Decide on some imperfect Somebody and you will win, because the truest truism in politics is: You can't beat Somebody with Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/decide-on-some-imperfect-somebody-and-you-will-win-because-the-truest/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/knowing-how-things-work-is-the-basis-for-appreciation-and-is-thus-a/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [What a joy it is to see really professional media manipulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/what-a-joy-it-is-to-see-really-professional-media-manipulation/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/what-do-you-call-a-co-worker-these-days-neither-teammate-nor/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [This is what it's all about. From what I could see, you could get a bunch of people together, whip up the press and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/this-is-what-it-s-all-about-from-what-i-could-see-you-could-get-a/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/when-i-need-to-know-the-meaning-of-a-word-i-look-it-up-in-a-dictionary/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [A man who lies, thinking it is the truth, is an honest man, and a man who tells the truth, believing it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/a-man-who-lies-thinking-it-is-the-truth-is-an-honest-man-and-a-man/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [The Latin motto over Poindexter's new Pentagon office reads Scientia Est Potentia - "knowledge is power." Exactly: the government's infinite knowledge about you is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-latin-motto-over-poindexter-s-new-pentagon-office-reads-scientia/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [English is a stretch language; one size fits all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/english-is-a-stretch-language-one-size-fits-all/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Today, war of necessity is used by critics of military action to describe unavoidable response to an attack like that on Pearl Harbor that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/today-war-of-necessity-is-used-by-critics-of-military-action-to/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [To communicate, put your words in order; give them a purpose; use them to persuade, to instruct, to discover, to seduce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/to-communicate-put-your-words-in-order-give-them-a-purpose-use-them/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [“Chandler’s “She was blonde enough to make a bishop kick a hole through a stained-glass window”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/chandler-s-she-was-blonde-enough-to-make-a-bishop-kick-a-hole-through/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [You don't overturn a previous court's decisions lightly and I think most Americans are somewhere in the middle on abortion and there's not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/you-don-t-overturn-a-previous-court-s-decisions-lightly-and-i-think/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) [Explore all 103 William Safire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) ## More Expect quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [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/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Beare with evill, and expect good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/beare-with-evill-and-expect-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/therefore-you-also-must-be-ready-for-the-son-of-man-is-coming-at-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People expect more and more every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/people-expect-more-and-more-every-time/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [“Love is promising to give someone everything and not expect anything in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hart/love-is-promising-to-give-someone-everything-and-not-expect-anything/) [Emma Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hart/) > [I wanted to make a place for filmmakers and artists to come and 'do their stuff,' but I didn't expect it to have had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-anderson/i-wanted-to-make-a-place-for-filmmakers-and-artists-to-come-and-do/) [Tom Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-anderson/) > [Parents should have perfect control over their own spirits, and with mildness and yet firmness bend the will of the child until it shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/parents-should-have-perfect-control-over-their-own-spirits-and-with/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [“When you have a relationship with Jesus, you learn to expect something different everyday of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mlungisi-simelane/when-you-have-a-relationship-with-jesus-you-learn-to-expect-something/) [Mlungisi Simelane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mlungisi-simelane/) > [I didn't expect I will get the Arjuna at 18 years. I thought 19.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/i-didn-t-expect-i-will-get-the-arjuna-at-18-years-i-thought-19/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [“Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/maybe-who-we-are-isn-t-so-much-about-what-we-do-but-rather-what-we-re/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Sometimes when you least expect it, hope wiggles into your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-plourde/sometimes-when-you-least-expect-it-hope-wiggles-into-your-heart/) [Lynn Plourde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-plourde/) > [I laid my life on the line, so I expect nothing less from you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/i-laid-my-life-on-the-line-so-i-expect-nothing-less-from-you/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) [Browse all 2,143 Expect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't expect others to do your work for you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Safire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/william-safire-5116_expect_don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for_1423664.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/william-safire-5116_expect_don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for_1423664.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/william-safire-5116_expect_don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for_1423664.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't expect others to do your work for you.” — William Safire", "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": "William Safire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't expect others to do your...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/don-t-expect-others-to-do-your-work-for-you/#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 } } ] } ```