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Self-doubt is something that we've all experienced at some point in our lives.
It's the rope that holds us back from reaching the things we want. Or the backpack full of rocks that weighs us down, until we run out of fight.
But by surrounding yourself with positive influences, such as these self-doubt quotes, you can begin your journey to overcome the nagging doubts. And in turn, become more confident in yourself.
You've got this. You're capable of achieving everything you want out of life.
You just need to believe it. And these self-doubt quotes are going to help you do just that.
Why Is Overcoming Self-Doubt So Difficult?
From the hesitation before making a decision, to the pang of anxiety that makes us turn around and walk back out the door, self-doubt is something we’re all familiar with.
It’s that voice in our head that feeds on negativity and crushes our self-confidence. It’s the constant questioning of our own abilities and worthiness, that then leads to the belief that we’re not good enough in some way.
So, why is it so difficult to overcome these insecurities? Why can't we just shake it off, like a bit of dirt on our coat?
Well, much like many troublesome marks, the deeply ingrained nature of self-doubt itself makes it difficult to just brush off.
From school exams to tough relationships, we're constantly facing setbacks or failures. And it's these past experiences that lay a path of self-doubt that can be hard to walk away from.
We then picket fence the path by comparing ourselves to others. The likes of social media and TV shows send a steady stream of images and stories of seemingly idyllic lives and achievements.
And despite knowing that these picture-perfect moments aren’t real, the constant comparison between lives only fuels our self-doubt.
We start questioning if we’re really good enough to go for that promotion. Or if we should really share our ideas out loud, for everyone to hear. And judge.
Of course, it's natural to feel scared when stepping out of our comfort zones and taking risks. But in order to overcome self-doubt, we need to change our mindset and challenge those negative thoughts.
Remember to surround yourself with positive influences, such as these self-doubt quotes. And check in with your supportive friends and family, as these are the people who see your potential, even when you can’t.
The journey towards self-belief won't always be easy. But every step you take will bring you closer to the life you deserve.
So let’s get started.
75 Self-Doubt Quotes to Become More Confident
- “If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” – Rosalynn Carter
- “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill
- “Let all your moments of self-doubt, fear, or disappointment fuel your drive to be great.” – Devin McCourty
- “Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” – Helen Keller
- “Life is about overcoming self-doubt. But you don't grow if you don't question yourself.” – Lenny Henry
- “Erase self-doubt by working to build your strengths instead of focusing on your weaknesses.” – Rodolfo Costa
- “Your dream doesn’t have an expiration date. Take a deep breath and try again.” – K.T. Witten
- “Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash
- “Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.” – Virgil Thomson
- “Sometimes, when I am in a moment of self-doubt, I think – you're Violet Chachki, you can do and achieve whatever you want.” – Violet Chachki
- “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” – Dr. Robert Anthony
- “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale
- “Don’t waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “I have days of self-doubt, but I think the kindest thing I can do to myself is accept where my body is at.” – Geri Halliwell
- “If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.” – Cicero
- “I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time.” – Anna Freud
- “Acting as if you were what you want to become and know you can become is the way to remove self-doubt and enter your real-magic kingdom.” – Wayne Dyer
- “However you arrive at the ability to ignore self-doubt – if you can acquire it or possess it or find it or discover it – move beyond self-doubt.” – Dwight Yoakam
- “When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.” – Joe Namath
- “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “Don’t wait, the time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill
- “If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh
- “Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back.” – Babe Ruth
- “I think that, to be an artist, you have to have a big enough ego to believe that people out in the world want to see what you think is a good idea. And if you don't have that sense of ego, then the minute that idea goes into the world, self-doubt kicks in.” – Sam Taylor-Johnson
I think that, to be an artist, you have to have a big enough ego to believe that people out in the world want to see what you think is a good idea. And if you don't have that sense of ego, then the minute that idea goes into the world, self-doubt kicks in.” – Sam Taylor-Johnson
- “Until I really dealt with a lot of the demons in my life – the fear and self-doubt and unresolved issues with my old man – I could never feel fulfilled and happy. I would wake up in the morning and feel bad.” – David Cassidy
- “You don’t need to think. You don’t need to rehearse. All you need to do is be yourself.” – Unknown
- “Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan
- “We're past the self-doubt. We just have fun with it and just try to make the best music that we can make.” – Tyler Joseph
- “Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” – Helen Keller
- “You are stronger than you think.” – Unknown
- “When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.” – Honore de Balzac
- “Probably the advice I could follow more is the self-love sort of advice. I think, four out of every five days, I'm good at that, but certain situations can trigger self-doubt or cloudiness around how I feel about myself.” – Jonathan Van Ness
- “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius
- “Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for.” – Jennifer Lopez
- “Successful People Have Fear, Successful People Have Doubts, And Successful People Have Worries. They Just Don’t Let These Feelings Stop Them.” – T. Harv Eker
- “The biggest thing I've learned is just to not doubt myself as much as I do. Having self-doubt is definitely necessary, but it's about not letting it get in the way. When it turns into fear, you run into problems.” – Rick Hoffman
- “Don’t let others tell you what you can’t do. Don’t let the limitations of others limit your vision. If you can remove your self-doubt and believe in yourself, you can achieve what you never thought possible.” – Roy T. Bennett
- “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
- “I had a lot of self-doubt when I started. And I still do. But I had a lot of the wrong kind of self-doubt when I first started making music and first started to tour. I think I was a little bit deferential.” – Porter Robinson
I had a lot of self-doubt when I started. And I still do. But I had a lot of the wrong kind of self-doubt when I first started making music and first started to tour. I think I was a little bit deferential.” – Porter Robinson
- “When you are free from self-doubt, you fail better, you accept criticism and listen.” – Unknown
- “With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.” – Dalai Lama
- “Fight your fears and you’ll be in battle forever. Face your fears and you’ll be free forever.” – Lucas Jonkman
- “Struggling with confidence and self-doubt are things that everyone goes through, especially kids, but I set goals, worked hard and leant on the people around me.” – Israel Folau
- “Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin
- “That's the downside of total creative control: You're isolated and after a while you can lose a little perspective. But I've taught myself not to listen to my own self-doubt.” – Randy Rainbow
- “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
- “You do not need to pay attention to those voices within you that create pain, or make you feel less competent, smart or able.” – Sanaya Roman
- “If doubt is challenging you and you do not act, doubts will grow. Challenge the doubts with action and you will grow. Doubt and action are incompatible.” – John Kanary
- “Let all your moments of self-doubt, fear or disappointment fuel your drive to be great. Because it will be in those moments of fear that we have to realize we must redefine success and what it means to us.” – Jason McCourty
- “The reason why you doubt yourself so much is that you have never seen yourself in action. You have never seen yourself breaking limits. You have never seen yourself standing in the spotlight and getting cheered by the audience.” – Michael Bassey Johnson
- “Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” – Judy Blume
- “I go through different phases where there's times of self-doubt, but when the bell rings and it's time to throw down and I get another opponent in my face, I just go to work my best. I fight and usually it turns out well for me.” – Carlos Condit
- “You are so much stronger than you realize. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you’re not. Not even you.” – J.W. Lynne
- “Faith doesn’t mean that you never doubt. It only means that you never act upon your doubts.” – Orson Scott Card
- “Always have faith in yourself and the universe, for one will not get you anywhere without the other. Both must be equally strong to reach your desires, for they are the wings that will lift you to your dreams.” – Suzy Kassem
Always have faith in yourself and the universe, for one will not get you anywhere without the other. Both must be equally strong to reach your desires, for they are the wings that will lift you to your dreams.” – Suzy Kassem
- “I've operated out of a space where I don't think there was a whole lot of room for self-doubt, not believing in where I can get to and what I wanted to achieve.” – Cooper Kupp
- “In every crisis, doubt or confusion, take the higher path – the path of compassion, courage, understanding and love.” – Amit Ray
- “Inhale confidence, exhale doubt.” – Unknown
- “It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” – Hanoch McCarty
- “A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway.” – Christopher Reeve
- “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we might oft win by fearing to attempt.” – William Shakespeare
- “You can either waltz boldly onto the stage of life and live the way you know your spirit is nudging you to, or you can sit quietly by the wall, receding into the shadows of fear and self-doubt.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” – Edmund Hillary
- “Everything you want to accomplish is already within yourself so when you start to roll in self-doubt and think negative thoughts then you'll fall off. So keep visualising and keep knowing what you're destined for, it'll come to you.” – NLE Choppa
- “When it comes to procrastination and overthinking, we have to overcome our self-doubt.” – Jay Shetty
- “Belief in oneself is incredibly infectious. It generates momentum, the collective force of which far outweighs any kernel of self-doubt that may creep in.” – Aimee Mullins
- “The moment you feel yourself hesitate on something you know you should do, count 5-4-3-2-1 to activate your prefrontal cortex and interrupt the habit of overthinking, self-doubt, and fear.” – Mel Robbins
- “When you realize your own insecurity, and you embrace it, it’s such an incredible self-realization, and it’s such an incredible journey.” – Sue Bryce
- “You don't have to do everything by the time you're 30. Or 40. All you need is a work ethic. It's what allows you to push through moments of disappointment and self-doubt and fear.” – Candace Bushnell
You don't have to do everything by the time you're 30. Or 40. All you need is a work ethic. It's what allows you to push through moments of disappointment and self-doubt and fear.” – Candace Bushnell
- “You are bigger than your self-doubt. Remind yourself of that each and every day.” – Caroline Ghosn
- “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan
- “When self-doubt creeps in, don't ignore it – address it. Respond to harsh self-criticism with something more compassionate. Talk to yourself like a trusted friend and refuse to believe your unrealistic, negative inner monologue.” – Amy Morin
- “The difference in winning and losing is most often… not quitting.” – Walt Disney
- “Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself. Believe in yourself, your abilities, and your own potential. Never let self-doubt hold you captive. You are worthy of all that you dream of and hope for.” – Roy T. Bennett
Final Thoughts on Self-Doubt Quotes
Overcoming self-doubt can be a difficult journey. It requires self-reflection, self-acceptance, and the willingness to challenge our negative beliefs about ourselves.
But it’s important to remember that self-doubt does not define us and that you are capable of achieving anything you want to.
As Suzy Kassem once said, “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” So go chase your dreams, one confident footstep at a time.
And if you're looking for more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 61 Respect Yourself Quotes to Empower Your Life
- 35 Inspirational Have a Great Day Quotes and Sayings
- 41 Be Intentional Quotes to Have a Purposeful Life
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
