The secret to happiness is low expectations.

The line compresses a familiar psychological insight: satisfaction depends less on absolute outcomes than on the gap between what we get and what we expect. By urging “low expectations,” it recommends managing anticipations to reduce disappointment and increase contentment—an idea that resonates with research on hedonic adaptation and social comparison. In Schwartz’s work on choice and decision-making, the sentiment also fits a critique of perfectionism and “maximizing”: when people demand the best (or expect life to meet ideal standards), they often experience regret and chronic dissatisfaction. The quote’s provocation lies in reframing happiness as partly a cognitive strategy—calibrating standards—rather than a reward for ever-higher achievement.