What if I fail yet again in my attempt to write my novel?
What if the pie doesn’t come out right?
What if this is not my best painting?
What if I’ve made a mistake while filing my visa application?
At some point in our lives, we have all been plagued by self-doubt. Even the brightest of minds have lost their sheen in the face of self-doubt, while trying something new. American poet Sylvia Plath once wrote in her journal: “And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
The problem arises when the fear of failure creeps into the mind on a daily basis. We may overlook trivial instances of self-doubt, but when it comes to matters of importance, questions beginning with “what if” can be harmful. Every time there is a task at hand, the nagging voice in the head whispers: What if this turns out to be a failure like before? You are not capable of this. Don’t even try. You are not good enough. It is a downward spiral that crushes an individual’s ambitions and stops them from achieving what they are capable of.
“Self-doubt,” says, organisation development consultant Swasthika Ramamurthy, “is about not believing in oneself, one’s own resources and potential.” Further, she believes, individuals racked with self-doubt have no sense of anchorage within. Hence, they are unable to make decisions. They constantly think: I am not sure of what I am doing, what kind of choices I am making and the decisions I am taking. Because of this, they often look to the world for validation of their choices. When people don’t believe in themselves, this is all they can do.
Could self-doubt be innate? Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson’s theory on Psychosocial Development in Infancy and Early Childhood answers this question. According to Erikson, social experiences affect children greatly. Children begin to exert power through play and social interactions during their preschool years. If they are successful in this phase, they learn to lead people. If they don’t acquire this skill, they generally suffer from self-doubt in adulthood.
Counteracting self-doubt can be a herculean task, but it is necessary if we ever hope to accomplish our dreams.
Self-doubt is a lack of belief in oneself and one’s abilities. It can crush ambitions, hinder decision-making, and prevent individuals from achieving their full potential.
Counteracting self-doubt requires rewiring one’s thinking and embracing imperfections. It involves acknowledging self-doubt’s manifestation, trusting oneself despite shortcomings, and believing in one’s abilities to accomplish tasks.
Van Gogh advises that when a voice within says one cannot do something, one should go ahead and do it anyway, as the act of doing will silence that voice of self-doubt.
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