Quotes about Self-doubt

And it seemed to me, too, that I've always been afraid when I was in the company of people…afraid of saying something stupid…afraid of being laughed at.

Because I simply couldn't make up my mind to do it. I never can make up my mind about anything myself—I'm always afflicted with indecision. Just as soon as I decide to do something I feel in my bones that another course would be the correct one. It's a dreadful misfortune, but I was born that way, and there is no use in blaming me for it, as some people do.

The hysteria of suspicion has made us unreliable to ourselves, trusting neither our aspirations nor our convictions. Suspiciousness, not skepticism, is the beginning of our thinking.

What is so frightening is the extent to which we may idealize others when we have such trouble tolerating ourselves

Now he would never write the things that he had saved to write until he knew enough to write them well. Well, he would not have to fail at trying to write them either. Maybe you could never write them, and that was why you put them off and delayed the starting. Well he would never know, now.

Washington Irving once introduced Charles Dickens at a dinner given in the latter's honor. In the middle of his speech Irving hesitated, became embarrassed, and sat down awkwardly. Turning to a friend beside him he remarked, There, I told you I would fail, and I did. If you believe you will fail, there is no hope for you. You will.

There are very real forces that whisper lying innuendos that assault your mind, your will, and your emotions in the hope of causing you to turn on yourself and then to turn on others.

Part of me suspects that I'm a loser, and the other part of me thinks I'm God Almighty.

I love readings and my readers, but the din of voices of the audience gives me stage fright, and the din of voices inside whisper that I am a fraud, and that the jig is up. Surely someone will rise up from the audience and say out loud that not only am I not funny and helpful, but I'm annoying, and a phony.

I doubt if, after all, I'll ever write anything again worth putting in print.

I have learned that I am terrified of everything, but I can get the job done.

Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure.