Self-distrust is the cause of most of our failures.—In the assurance of strength there is strength; and they are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their powers.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.
—Alexandre Dumas pere (1802–1870) French Novelist, Playwright
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
—Margaret Mead (1901–78) American Anthropologist, Social Psychologist
When in doubt, do it.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) American Jurist, Author
Believe nothing and be on your guard against everything.
—Latin Proverb
Truth will have no gods before it.- The belief in truth begins with the doubt of all truths in which one has previously believed.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
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 or ages that follow it.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Ah, what a dusty answer gets the soul when hot for certainties in this, our life.
—George Meredith (1828–1909) British Novelist, Poet, Critic
The suspicious mind believes more than it doubts. It believes in a formidable and ineradicable evil lurking in every person.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
When nothing is sure, everything is possible.
—Margaret Drabble (b.1939) English Novelist, Biographer, Critic, Short Story Writer
Doubt is part of all religion. All the religious thinkers were doubters.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–91) Polish-born American Children’s Books Writer, Novelist, Short Story Writer
When in charge ponder. When in trouble delegate. When in doubt mumble.
—Unknown
It is reserved for man alone to find his very existence questionable, to experience the whole dubiousness of being. More than such faculties as power of speech, conceptual thinking, or walking erect, this factor of doubting the significance of his own existence is what sets man apart from animal.
—Viktor Frankl (1905–97) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist
What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
If the Sun and Moon should ever doubt, they’d immediately go out.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts about reality.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
To doubt is worse than to have lost; And to despair is but to antedate those miseries that must fall on us.
—Philip Massinger (1583–1640) English Playwright
The future is no more uncertain than the present.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist, American, Poet, Essayist, Journalist
He that knows nothing, doubts nothing.
—Common Proverb
So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.
—Lee Iacocca (1924–2019) American Businessperson
The empiricist… thinks he believes only what he sees, but he is much better at believing than at seeing.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
When we are not sure, we are alive.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Neither in this world nor elsewhere is there any happiness in store for him who always doubts.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Free man is by necessity insecure; thinking man by necessity uncertain.
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German-American Psychoanalyst, Social Philosopher
Suspicions amongst thoughts are like the bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight: certainly they are to be repressed, or at least well guarded, for they cloud the mind, lose friends, check business, dispose kings to tyranny, husbands to jealousy, and wise men to irresolution and melancholy; they are defects, not in the heart, but in the brain.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
As to the adjective, when in doubt strike it out.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
If I am fool, it is, at least, a doubting one; and I envy no one the certainty of his self-approved wisdom.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
Hesitation increases in relation to risk in equal proportion to age.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
Suspicion is no less an enemy to virtue than to happiness. He that is already corrupt is naturally suspicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly be corrupt.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Philosophy when superficially studied, excites doubt, when thoroughly explored, it dispels it.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.
—Unknown
There’s nothing certain in a man’s life except this: That he must lose it.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Poet
Never despair, but if you do, work on in despair.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
The road to perseverance lies by doubt.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
Doubt indulged soon becomes doubt realized.
—Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–79) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
The more uncertain I have felt about myself, the more there has grown up in me a feeling of kinship with all things.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
Doubt can only be removed by action.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
No man likes to have his intelligence or good faith questioned, especially if he has doubts about it himself.
—Henry Adams (1838–1918) American Historian, Man of Letters
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.
—William Congreve (1670–1729) English Playwright, Poet
Skepticism, is that anything more than we used to mean when we said, “Well, what have we here?”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
It is never worth while to suggest doubts in order to show how cleverly we can answer them.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
A reasonable probability is the only certainty.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
The skeptic does not mean him who doubts, but him who investigates or researches, as opposed to him who asserts and thinks that he has found.
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) Spanish Educator, Philosopher, Author
If you are in doubt whether to write a letter or not, don’t. And the advice applies to many doubts in life besides that of letter writing.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
When unhappy, one doubts everything; when happy, one doubts nothing.
—Philibert Joseph Roux (1780–1854) French Surgeon
If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.
—Rene Descartes (1596–1650) French Mathematician, Philosopher
It’s imperative to realize that it is not necessary to try to get rid of fear in order to succeed. Rich and successful people have fear, rich and successful people have doubts, rich and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them. Unsuccessful people have fears, doubts, and worries, then let those feelings stop them.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.
—Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) American Playwright, Entrepreneur