self-doubt
Questioning one's abilities
Self-doubt is uncertainty about one's own abilities, decisions, or worth.
It often appears when facing challenges or after setbacks: Self-doubt crept in as she prepared for the interview.
A degree of self-doubt can prompt useful reflection, but excessive self-doubt becomes paralyzing: His self-doubt kept him from applying for jobs he was qualified for.
Lower status or quality
- inadequacyState of being insufficient
- unworthinessLack of merit
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- timidityFearful lack of courage
diffidence · shyness · fearfulness · sensitivity · perfectionism · imposter syndrome · shame · embarrassment
Delay from uncertainty
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- misgivingUneasy feeling of doubt
- reservationAdvance arrangement to hold
doubtfulness · tentativeness · wavering · second-guessing · ambivalence · distrust · indecision · vacillation
Troubled mental state
- fearEmotional response to threat
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
unease · overthinking · rumination · catastrophizing · spiraling · panic · angst · trepidation
Probing one's innermost feelings
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- journalingRegular personal writing practice
- therapyCurative mental treatment
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
inferiority
Lower status or quality
- inadequacyState of being insufficient
- unworthinessLack of merit
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
timidity · diffidence · shyness · fearfulness · sensitivity · perfectionism · imposter syndrome · shame · embarrassment · defensiveness
hesitation
Delay from uncertainty
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- misgivingUneasy feeling of doubt
reservation · doubtfulness · tentativeness · wavering · second-guessing · ambivalence · distrust · indecision · vacillation · equivocation
worry
Troubled mental state
- fearEmotional response to threat
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
dread · unease · overthinking · rumination · catastrophizing · spiraling · panic · angst · trepidation · restlessness
soul-searching
Probing one's innermost feelings
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- journalingRegular personal writing practice
- therapyCurative mental treatment
mindfulness · inner critic · cognitive distortion · personal growth
- selfpersonal identity, psyche, ego, introspection, character
- inner conflictinner conflict, internal struggle, inner turmoil, torn feelings, emotional conflict
- sport psychologymental toughness, flow state, concentration, confidence, mental training
- mental blocksmental block, procrastination, indecision, hesitation, holding back
- adolescencepuberty, teenager, coming-of-age, growing up, teen
- Anxietyanxiety, nervousness, panic, worry, generalized anxiety
self-doubtself-confidence
Faith in one's capabilities
self-assurance · confidence · self-belief · assurance · arrogance
self-doubtconviction
Firmly held belief
certainty · decisiveness · resolve · assuredness · boldness
self-doubtself-assuredness
Belief in one's competence
self-possession · composure · equanimity · groundedness · self-acceptance
doubt, self, doubting, dubious, doubts, selfless, undoubtedly, doubter, doubted