---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by…"
description: "\"I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by telling myself I just didn't want to smoke, but I didn't believe myself\" — Barbara Kelly"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/barbara-kelly-222115_smoking_i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-te_620621.png"
---

#  I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by telling myself I…

![“I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by telling myself I just didn't want to smoke, but I didn't believe myself” quote by Barbara Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/barbara-kelly-222115_smoking_i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-te_620621.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/barbara-kelly-222115_smoking_i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-te_620621.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/barbara-kelly-222115_smoking_i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-te_620621.png)

> “I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by telling myself I just didn't want to smoke, but I didn't believe myself”

Barbara Kelly

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She tried to quit smoking by willpower but doubted herself, highlighting the struggle between intention and belief.

**In simple terms:** Self‑doubt hinders quitting smoking.

Key Takeaway

Strengthen belief to change habits.

Themes

addiction willpower self‑doubt behavior change health

Mood

frustrated determined

Type

Smoking:1 Smoking cigarettes:1 Stop smoking:1 Wine:0 Believe Myself:0 Didn Want:0 Tried Stop:0 Smoke Didn:0 Cigarettes Telling:0

When to use this quote

- personal health
- smoking cessation
- self‑help strategies

Key Concepts

psychology habit formation motivation self‑efficacy

Questions to Reflect On

- What can reinforce commitment?
- How does self‑belief impact habit change?

A Different Perspective

May need external support.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Smoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoking/) [Smoking cigarettes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoking-cigarettes/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/)

## Related quotes

> [I didn't smoke. I didn't smoke then, and I don't smoke now. We worked every day - that keeps you in pretty good shape.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-connor/i-didn-t-smoke-i-didn-t-smoke-then-and-i-don-t-smoke-now-we-worked/)

[Donald O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-connor/)

> [“Just smoke less and keep trying. If you smoke 10 cigarettes in a day, smoke only 9 for next 3 days then 8, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-kumar/just-smoke-less-and-keep-trying-if-you-smoke-10-cigarettes-in-a-day/)

[Abhishek Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-kumar/)

> [“Smoking cigarettes is not doing any good to you. It’s just killing you. You don’t wanna die yet. Do you!?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-kumar/smoking-cigarettes-is-not-doing-any-good-to-you-it-s-just-killing-you/)

[Abhishek Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-kumar/)

> [“It is 10 PM now, and Godzilla has been sitting at his desk in front of his laptop for six to seven hours. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-scott-gorrell/it-is-10-pm-now-and-godzilla-has-been-sitting-at-his-desk-in-front-of/)

[Brandon Scott Gorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-scott-gorrell/)

> [If we see you smoking we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/if-we-see-you-smoking-we-will-assume-you-are-on-fire-and-take/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“Nobody ever recommended or even desired that I be a novelist - in fact, some tried to stop me. I had the idea to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/nobody-ever-recommended-or-even-desired-that-i-be-a-novelist-in-fact/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [I Tried To Stop Missing You.It Didn't Work So I Stopped Trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-tried-to-stop-missing-you-it-didn-t-work-so-i-stopped-trying/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Earlier today I shot my old partner, a friend of mine, because he tried to stop me from doing what I have to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-bauer/earlier-today-i-shot-my-old-partner-a-friend-of-mine-because-he-tried/)

[Jack Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-bauer/)

> [I didnt realize I was addicted until I tried to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/i-didnt-realize-i-was-addicted-until-i-tried-to-stop/)

Patience

> [Please dont act like you do. You dont care, I know you dont. Youve watched me destroy myself for too long now. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/please-dont-act-like-you-do-you-dont-care-i-know-you-dont-youve/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“When I’ve been anxious, it was because I believed I couldn’t handle whatever came my way and instead tried to stop life from happening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-fox-brewer/when-i-ve-been-anxious-it-was-because-i-believed-i-couldn-t-handle/)

Elizabeth Fox Brewer

> [“I tried to stop being the pain, tried to let my mind conquer my body”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/i-tried-to-stop-being-the-pain-tried-to-let-my-mind-conquer-my-body/)

[C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/)

> [I hated school because I liked to daydream and the system tried to stop me from that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/i-hated-school-because-i-liked-to-daydream-and-the-system-tried-to/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [I tried but I cant stop thinking about you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-josland/i-tried-but-i-cant-stop-thinking-about-you/)

Azgraybebly Josland

> [I didn't know I was addicted. Until I tried to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie/i-didn-t-know-i-was-addicted-until-i-tried-to-stop/)

[Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie/)

## More Smoking quotes

> [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [The Germans are the most philosophic people in the world, and the greatest smokers: now I trace their philosophy to their smoking. Smoking has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-borrow/the-germans-are-the-most-philosophic-people-in-the-world-and-the/)

[George Henry Borrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-borrow/)

> [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easy-to-quit-smoking-i-ve-done-it-hundreds-of-times/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/)

Richard Doll

> [It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/it-s-disgraceful-that-year-after-year-congress-has-bowed-to-the/)

[Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/)

> [Most of us have the residue of thousands of songs in our ears, that if you end up songwriting, I think you're mostly smoking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-of-us-have-the-residue-of-thousands-of-songs-in-our-ears-that-if/)

[Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/)

> [Self-righteousness has killed more people than smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/self-righteousness-has-killed-more-people-than-smoking/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [Oh, it was delicious to have someone to keep secrets with. If I'd had a sister or a brother closer in age, I guessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/oh-it-was-delicious-to-have-someone-to-keep-secrets-with-if-i-d-had-a/)

[Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/)

> [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [I roll with Ladies just as tropic as the chronic in my pocket Cop it, Crush it, Roll it, Spark it, and mix it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-banks/i-roll-with-ladies-just-as-tropic-as-the-chronic-in-my-pocket-cop-it/)

[Lloyd Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-banks/)

> [We have too many preacherettes preaching too many sermonettes to too many Christianettes smoking cigarettes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/we-have-too-many-preacherettes-preaching-too-many-sermonettes-to-too/)

[Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/)

> [If the fact that people make poor decisions is reason enough for the government to second-guess their decisions about dangerous activities such as smoking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-sullum/if-the-fact-that-people-make-poor-decisions-is-reason-enough-for-the/)

Jacob Sullum

> [Taking in and blowing out smoke? And now you see girls smoking cigars. It got to be such a fad. Girls on the covers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-coburn/taking-in-and-blowing-out-smoke-and-now-you-see-girls-smoking-cigars/)

[James Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-coburn/)

[Browse all 1,321 Smoking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoking/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by telling myself I just didn't want to smoke, but I didn't believe myself",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barbara Kelly"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kelly/i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-telling-myself-i-just-didn-t/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Smoking"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kelly/i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-telling-myself-i-just-didn-t/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/barbara-kelly-222115_smoking_i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-te_620621.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/barbara-kelly-222115_smoking_i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-te_620621.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/barbara-kelly-222115_smoking_i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-te_620621.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by telling myself I just didn't want to smoke, but I didn't believe myself” — Barbara Kelly",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Barbara Kelly",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kelly/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I tried to stop smoking cigarettes...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kelly/i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-telling-myself-i-just-didn-t/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kelly/i-tried-to-stop-smoking-cigarettes-by-telling-myself-i-just-didn-t/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
