--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you think you can't, you're right." description: "\"If you think you can't, you're right.\" — Carol Bartz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/carol-bartz-18443_achieved-success_if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-3247_324750.png" --- # If you think you can't, you're right. ![“If you think you can't, you're right.” quote by Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/carol-bartz-18443_achieved-success_if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-3247_324750.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/carol-bartz-18443_achieved-success_if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-3247_324750.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/carol-bartz-18443_achieved-success_if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-3247_324750.png) > “If you think you can't, you're right.” [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑belief determines outcomes; doubting yourself creates a self‑fulfilling prophecy of failure. **In simple terms:** If you think you can't, you will fail. Key Takeaway Cultivate confidence to achieve goals. Themes confidence mindset self‑efficacy Mood motivational encouraging Type self‑help inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - public speaking - entrepreneurship - personal goals Key Concepts psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports your ability? - How can you balance confidence with realism? 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According to Einstein the ether does not exist and many people agree with him. But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/they-say-much-about-the-einstein-s-theory-now-according-to-einstein/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [LIFE is too short. Be positive and true to yourself, because it is the key to your happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shadrin-jlm/life-is-too-short-be-positive-and-true-to-yourself-because-it-is-the/) Shadrin Jlm > [“I’ve found that life is just too short to be anything other than positive. When something isn’t going the way you want it to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-anne/i-ve-found-that-life-is-just-too-short-to-be-anything-other-than/) [Melody Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-anne/) > [Positive economics is in principle independent of any particular ethical position or normative judgment...In short, positive economics is or can be an "objective" science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/positive-economics-is-in-principle-independent-of-any-particular/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Spartans, stoics, heroes, saints and gods use short and positive speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/spartans-stoics-heroes-saints-and-gods-use-short-and-positive-speech/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If you've never failed, you've never tried anything new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-you-ve-never-failed-you-ve-never-tried-anything-new/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Do what you can, with what you have and do it now!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington-carver/do-what-you-can-with-what-you-have-and-do-it-now/) [George Washington Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington-carver/) > [Do your best with what you have where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-punch/do-your-best-with-what-you-have-where-you-are/) [Lucy Punch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-punch/) > [If you have never failed you have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-you-have-never-failed-you-have-never-lived/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Life is about trying things to see if they work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/life-is-about-trying-things-to-see-if-they-work/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Learn from yesterday, live for today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/learn-from-yesterday-live-for-today/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) ## More by Carol Bartz > [You need not feel guilty about not being able to keep your life perfectly balanced. Juggling everything is too difficult. All you really need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/you-need-not-feel-guilty-about-not-being-able-to-keep-your-life/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [Yahoo is a company that is very strong in content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/yahoo-is-a-company-that-is-very-strong-in-content/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I'm kind of a Midwestern snob. I think we're just nice people and have a great work ethic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-m-kind-of-a-midwestern-snob-i-think-we-re-just-nice-people-and-have/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [The way you manage your company and the way you manage your people has to be totally different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/the-way-you-manage-your-company-and-the-way-you-manage-your-people/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I've just been fired over the phone by Yahoo's chairman of the board](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-ve-just-been-fired-over-the-phone-by-yahoo-s-chairman-of-the-board/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I always do my firing in the morning because that's when I'm fresh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-always-do-my-firing-in-the-morning-because-that-s-when-i-m-fresh/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. I never thought I'd be where I am. I never thought I'd have bling that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-grew-up-in-a-small-town-in-wisconsin-i-never-thought-i-d-be-where-i/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [Any leader needs to be constantly interested in what's going on in the world, and constantly ready - even when things are going well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/any-leader-needs-to-be-constantly-interested-in-what-s-going-on-in/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [The fact that you can crawl the web is a commodity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/the-fact-that-you-can-crawl-the-web-is-a-commodity/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [My husband doesn't listen because his mother didn't make him listen. What am I going to do, beat him? I mean: firstborn of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/my-husband-doesn-t-listen-because-his-mother-didn-t-make-him-listen/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [The most successful company in Silicon Valley is Apple, and they're the most secretive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/the-most-successful-company-in-silicon-valley-is-apple-and-they-re/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [It'll take a smart person with passion over someone with years of experience any day. People with intelligence and passion will get the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/it-ll-take-a-smart-person-with-passion-over-someone-with-years-of/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I like banks because they keep my money safe, but I don't want to talk about banks 12 times a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-like-banks-because-they-keep-my-money-safe-but-i-don-t-want-to-talk/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [I became a sales manager at Digital Equipment, promoted from within the sales team. My peers were less than excited that I had gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/i-became-a-sales-manager-at-digital-equipment-promoted-from-within/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) > [Managing is a tough job. When you're young, you just think it's a natural progression - I'm good at this, so I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/managing-is-a-tough-job-when-you-re-young-you-just-think-it-s-a/) [Carol Bartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) [Explore all 35 Carol Bartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/) ## More Achieved success quotes > [My decision was that after nearly three years at Celtic - with everything we'd achieved and the success we'd had on the pitch, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/my-decision-was-that-after-nearly-three-years-at-celtic-with/) [Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/) > [What constitutes success? She who has achieved success has lived well; laughed often and loved much; has gained the respect of little children; has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bessie-anderson-stanley/what-constitutes-success-she-who-has-achieved-success-has-lived-well/) Bessie Anderson Stanley > [Do what you can, with what you have and do it now!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington-carver/do-what-you-can-with-what-you-have-and-do-it-now/) [George Washington Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington-carver/) > [Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered and the courage with which he has maintained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/success-is-not-measured-by-what-a-man-accomplishes-but-by-the/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [If you aren't making any mistakes, it's a sure sign you're playing it too safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/if-you-aren-t-making-any-mistakes-it-s-a-sure-sign-you-re-playing-it/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/one-of-the-most-tragic-things-i-know-about-human-nature-is-that-all-2/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Do your best with what you have where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-punch/do-your-best-with-what-you-have-where-you-are/) [Lucy Punch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-punch/) > [Sometimes our best is simply not enough… We have to do what is required.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/sometimes-our-best-is-simply-not-enough-we-have-to-do-what-is-required/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [One must search diligently to find laudatory comments on education (other than those pious platitudes which are fodder for commencement speeches). It appears that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/one-must-search-diligently-to-find-laudatory-comments-on-education/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-brennan/our-goals-can-only-be-reached-through-a-vehicle-of-a-plan-in-which-we-2/) Stephen Brennan > [Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/obstacles-are-what-you-see-when-you-take-your-eyes-off-your-goals/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The more difficult question for me is, do you remain successful for what you had done? I don't know. I think success is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-waters/the-more-difficult-question-for-me-is-do-you-remain-successful-for/) [Derek Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-waters/) > [Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value. Look around at how people want to get more out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/try-not-to-become-a-man-of-success-but-a-man-of-value-look-around-at/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don't, you have achieved half your failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ambrose/if-you-have-the-will-to-win-you-have-achieved-half-your-success-if/) David Ambrose > [The line between failure and success is so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-line-between-failure-and-success-is-so-fine-that-we-are-often-on-2/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) Browse all 42 Achieved success quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you think you can't, you're right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carol Bartz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achieved success" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/carol-bartz-18443_achieved-success_if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-3247_324750.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/carol-bartz-18443_achieved-success_if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-3247_324750.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/carol-bartz-18443_achieved-success_if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right-3247_324750.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you think you can't, you're right.” — Carol Bartz", "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": "Carol Bartz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bartz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you think you can't, you're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bartz/if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right/#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 } } ] } ```