Self-doubting
Self-doubt means questioning your own judgment or ability: whether you made the right call, whether you can do the job, whether you'll mess it up again. It's often loudest right before you act.
- On the wheel: Scared, then insecure, then self-doubting
- Nearby: Unsure, inadequate, insecure
- Often sounds like: "Who am I to do this?"
- Often points to: A step that matters, and too little proof you can take it
Checking what you already know
You draft the message, then rewrite it four times. You ask two people before deciding something you know how to decide. Someone praises you, and you wonder if they're just being nice.
"I've been a nurse for six years. A new grad asked me a question about a medication and I knew the answer, but I still went and looked it up before I told her."
The students who picked a drug they were told would hurt
Doubt can push people to protect themselves in ways that backfire, and a classic experiment caught it happening. Students solved problems and were told they'd done well, but for some of them the problems had been nearly impossible, so the success felt unearned.1
Before a second round, they could choose between two drugs, one described as helping performance and one as hurting it. Men in the unearned-success group were especially likely to choose the one they thought would hurt.1 In the researchers' reading, they were picking an excuse in advance.
The researchers called it self-handicapping: if you fail, you have an excuse, and your sense of ability survives.1
Outside the lab it looks like not studying, starting late or skipping practice, and the doubt never gets tested.
Bandura's four sources of self-belief
Albert Bandura's word for the belief that you can do something was self-efficacy. He traced it to four sources.2
| Source | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Doing it yourself | Succeeding at the task, even in small pieces | You gave a short talk and it went fine |
| Watching others | Seeing someone like you do it | A friend from your hometown ran the same race |
| Being told | Encouragement from others | Your sister says you're ready |
| Your body's state | How calm or keyed up you feel | Your hands are steady before you start |
Bandura saw doing it yourself as the strongest source, because it rests on your own experience of success.2 Being told you can do it is weaker on its own.2 A pep talk rarely fixes self-doubt for that reason, while a small win often helps.
Doubt about one task is self-doubt. A wider worry that you aren't enough is closer to insecure, and doubting success you've already had, while fearing you'll be found out, is the territory of imposter syndrome.
Building proof, one small win at a time
- Collect small proofs. Keep a dated list of things you did that worked, because self-doubt forgets them and firsthand success is what builds self-belief.2
- Shrink the task to a piece you can win. "Give the presentation" is too big. "Practice the first two minutes in front of one person" is winnable.
- Watch for self-handicapping. If you notice yourself skipping preparation, ask whether part of you wants an excuse ready.1
- Find someone like you who did it. Seeing a person with your background succeed is another source of self-belief.2
- Decide, then stop asking. Once you've gathered what you need, make the call. A third opinion rarely settles doubt.
What evidence do you have that you've handled something like this before? List three times, with what you did, then pick the smallest next step you could win today.
Answer this with JoyQuestions people ask about self-doubt
What causes self-doubt?
In many cases, too little firsthand proof that you can do a specific thing, especially when it's new or high stakes.2 Past criticism, comparison and perfectionism can turn the volume up. Doubt is common whenever you're stepping up to something bigger.
Is self-doubt a sign of low self-esteem?
Sometimes. Self-doubt is often about one task or area, while low self-esteem is a broader judgment about your worth. You can doubt your cooking and still think well of yourself.
Related
- Insecure: worrying you aren't enough.
- Inadequate: feeling you don't measure up.
- Imposter syndrome: doubting the success you have.