--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who underestimate their…" description: "\"People who underestimate their capabilities also bear costs, although, as already noted, these are more likely to take self-limiting rather than aversi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/albert-bandura-3524_activity_people-who-underestimate-their-capabilit_1859035.jpg" --- # People who underestimate their capabilities also bear… ![“People who underestimate their capabilities also bear costs, although, as already noted, these are more likely to take self-limiting rather than aversive forms. By failing to cultivate personal potentialities and constricting their activities, such persons cut themselves off from many rewarding…” quote by Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/albert-bandura-3524_activity_people-who-underestimate-their-capabilit_1859035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/albert-bandura-3524_activity_people-who-underestimate-their-capabilit_1859035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/albert-bandura-3524_activity_people-who-underestimate-their-capabilit_1859035.jpg) > “People who underestimate their capabilities also bear costs, although, as already noted, these are more likely to take self-limiting rather than aversive forms. By failing to cultivate personal potentialities and constricting their activities, such persons cut themselves off from many rewarding experiences. Should they attempt tasks having evaluative significance, they create internal obstacles to effective performance by approaching them with unnerving self-doubts” [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Underestimating one's abilities leads to self‑imposed limits, reducing opportunities and performance. **In simple terms:** Low self‑belief blocks growth and success. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge self‑doubt. Themes self‑efficacy confidence growth performance Mood anxious determined Type motivational psychological When to use this quote - career advancement - public speaking - skill learning - entrepreneurship Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑fulfilling prophecy motivation Questions to Reflect On - What evidence contradicts your self‑limitations? - How can you test your abilities safely? A Different Perspective Self‑doubt may be rooted in past failures, making change hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activity/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Capability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capability/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Internals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internals/) [Limiting Aversive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limiting-aversive-2490165/) [Obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Personal Potentialities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-potentialities-2490166/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Potentialities Constricting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potentialities-constricting-2490163/) [Rewarding experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewarding-experiences/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-doubt/) [Self efficacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-efficacy/) [Self Limiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-limiting-1046329/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Underestimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underestimate/) [Underestimate Capabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underestimate-capabilities-2490164/) ## Related quotes > [“You have to look at many different aspects of a person’s life to decide what self-limiting belief is still active. For instance, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/you-have-to-look-at-many-different-aspects-of-a-person-s-life-to/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Be wise. Banish the self-limiting words: “I don’t know how to …” “I can’t do that because …” “I never have any money …”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ramsay/be-wise-banish-the-self-limiting-words-i-don-t-know-how-to-i-can-t-do/) [Beth Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ramsay/) > [Our goals, our dreams and our just deserts are all within our reach. But we are held back by our self-limiting beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prakah-iyer/our-goals-our-dreams-and-our-just-deserts-are-all-within-our-reach/) [Prakah Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prakah-iyer/) > [My own view, for what it's worth, is that sexuality is lovely, there cannot be too much of it, it is self-limiting if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/my-own-view-for-what-it-s-worth-is-that-sexuality-is-lovely-there/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [You begin to fly when you let go of self-limiting beliefs and allow your mind and aspirations to rise to greater heights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/you-begin-to-fly-when-you-let-go-of-self-limiting-beliefs-and-allow/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Sometimes, my self-doubt became self-limiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marillyn-hewson/sometimes-my-self-doubt-became-self-limiting/) [Marillyn Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marillyn-hewson/) > [If a drug has anything going for it at all, it should be self-limiting. It should tell you when you've had enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/if-a-drug-has-anything-going-for-it-at-all-it-should-be-self-limiting/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [You know, if a drug has anything going for it at all, it should be self-limiting. It should tell you when you've had enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/you-know-if-a-drug-has-anything-going-for-it-at-all-it-should-be-self/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Most people suffer from the self limiting dysfunction "rear-view mirror syndrome" driving through life with their subconscious mind constantly looking in their own self-limiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/most-people-suffer-from-the-self-limiting-dysfunction-rear-view/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [There's a tremendously satisfying freedom associated with weightlessness. It's challenging in the absence of traction or leverage, and it requires thoughtful readjustment. I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-s-a-tremendously-satisfying-freedom-associated-with/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [It was fun in its own way, but I think 'Dahmer' was ultimately one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-wolff/it-was-fun-in-its-own-way-but-i-think-dahmer-was-ultimately-one-of/) [Alex Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-wolff/) > [No matter how old I get, the race remains one of life's most rewarding experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-sheehan/no-matter-how-old-i-get-the-race-remains-one-of-life-s-most-rewarding/) [George A. Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-sheehan/) > [I think theatre is by far the most rewarding experience for an actor. You get 4 weeks to rehearse your character and then at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eccleston/i-think-theatre-is-by-far-the-most-rewarding-experience-for-an-actor/) [Christopher Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eccleston/) > [My time at Yahoo, from its founding to the present, has encompassed some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-yang/my-time-at-yahoo-from-its-founding-to-the-present-has-encompassed/) [Jerry Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-yang/) > [I think one of the most rewarding experiences in life is to see people come to Christ and make lifestyle changes. When that happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/i-think-one-of-the-most-rewarding-experiences-in-life-is-to-see/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) ## More by Albert Bandura > [Persons who have a strong sense of efficacy deploy their attention and effort to the demands of the situation and are spurred by obstacles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/persons-who-have-a-strong-sense-of-efficacy-deploy-their-attention/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [I have often been struck by the fact that most parents who are experiencing positive and rewarding relationships with their pre-adolescent children are, nevertheless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/i-have-often-been-struck-by-the-fact-that-most-parents-who-are/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capabilities to organize and execute the sources of action required to manage prospective situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/self-efficacy-is-the-belief-in-one-s-capabilities-to-organize-and/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Agemates provide the most informative points of reference for comparative efficacy appraisal and verification. Children are, therefore, especially sensitive to their relative standing among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/agemates-provide-the-most-informative-points-of-reference-for/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [People who have a sense of self-efficacy bounce back from failure; they approach things in terms of how to handle them rather than worrying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/people-who-have-a-sense-of-self-efficacy-bounce-back-from-failure/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Reasonably accurate appraisal of one's own capabilities is, therefore, of considerable value in successful functioning. Large misjudgments of personal efficacy in either direction have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/reasonably-accurate-appraisal-of-one-s-own-capabilities-is-therefore/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [ \[Children\] receive direct instruction from time to time about the appropriateness of various social comparisons ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/children-receive-direct-instruction-from-time-to-time-about-the/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [People who regard themselves as highly efficacious act, think, and feel differently from those who perceive themselves as inefficacious. They produce their own future,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/people-who-regard-themselves-as-highly-efficacious-act-think-and-feel/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Behavior must also be adequately assessed under appropriate circumstances. Ill-defined global measures of perceived self-efficacy or defective assessments of performance will yield discordances. Disparities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/behavior-must-also-be-adequately-assessed-under-appropriate/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Forceful actions arising from erroneous beliefs often create social effects that confirm the misbeliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/forceful-actions-arising-from-erroneous-beliefs-often-create-social/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Perceived self-inefficacy predicts avoidance of academic activities whereas anxiety does not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/perceived-self-inefficacy-predicts-avoidance-of-academic-activities/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [ Stringent standards of self-evaluation \[can\] make otherwise objective successes seem to be personal failures ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/stringent-standards-of-self-evaluation-can-make-otherwise-objective/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Self-appraisals of efficacy are reasonably accurate, but they diverge from action because people do not know fully what they will have to do, lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/self-appraisals-of-efficacy-are-reasonably-accurate-but-they-diverge/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/people-s-beliefs-about-their-abilities-have-a-profound-effect-on/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Humans are producers of their life circumstance not just products of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/humans-are-producers-of-their-life-circumstance-not-just-products-of/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) [Explore all 128 Albert Bandura quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) ## More Activity quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [For the longest time, neuroscientists were forced to be passive observers of brain activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gero-miesenbock/for-the-longest-time-neuroscientists-were-forced-to-be-passive/) [Gero Miesenbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gero-miesenbock/) > [Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/enjoyment-is-not-a-goal-it-is-a-feeling-that-accompanies-important/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have to consider everything I eat; I consider every activity I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/i-have-to-consider-everything-i-eat-i-consider-every-activity-i-do/) [Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 3,263 Activity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People who underestimate their capabilities also bear costs, although, as already noted, these are more likely to take self-limiting rather than aversive forms. 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