--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started having doubts right on top of…" description: "\"I started having doubts right on top of my certainty.\" — David James Duncan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/david-james-duncan-8032_certainty_i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of_2948265.png" --- # I started having doubts right on top of my certainty. ![“I started having doubts right on top of my certainty.” quote by David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/david-james-duncan-8032_certainty_i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of_2948265.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/david-james-duncan-8032_certainty_i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of_2948265.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/david-james-duncan-8032_certainty_i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of_2948265.png) > “I started having doubts right on top of my certainty.” [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Certainty can be shaken by emerging doubts, revealing that confidence is often provisional. **In simple terms:** Even confidence can be questioned. Key Takeaway Stay open to new information. Themes confidence doubt growth Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - decision making - personal development - learning environments Key Concepts epistemology self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your doubts? - How do you balance certainty with openness? A Different Perspective Doubt may undermine progress if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubts/) ## Related quotes > [“The one who begins to have doubts, for him complete destruction occurs. Having doubts is a sign of timidity. The entire world is ‘scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-one-who-begins-to-have-doubts-for-him-complete-destruction-occurs/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [If your having doubts about whether you can actually trust a person...chances are you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-having-doubts-about-whether-you-can-actually-trust-a-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm constantly having doubts and moments of depression and then excitement and then back into the slough of despond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-m-constantly-having-doubts-and-moments-of-depression-and-then/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Never stop having doubts. If you ever do, it will be because you’ve stopped moving forward, and at that point, God will step in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/never-stop-having-doubts-if-you-ever-do-it-will-be-because-you-ve/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Doubts are like stains on a shirt. I like shirts with stains, because when I'm given a shirt that's too clean, one that's completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-tabucchi/doubts-are-like-stains-on-a-shirt-i-like-shirts-with-stains-because/) [Antonio Tabucchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-tabucchi/) > [Being human means having doubts and yet still continuing on your path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/being-human-means-having-doubts-and-yet-still-continuing-on-your-path/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [If someone doubts our right to exist - be it on the hills of Umm al-Fahem or in Munich's beer halls, in Gaza's crowded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-lapid/if-someone-doubts-our-right-to-exist-be-it-on-the-hills-of-umm-al/) [Yair Lapid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-lapid/) > [Atheism is not the denial of the existence of God, but having doubts as to whether God is conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/atheism-is-not-the-denial-of-the-existence-of-god-but-having-doubts/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Having faith does not mean never having doubts or questions. It does mean remaining obedient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/having-faith-does-not-mean-never-having-doubts-or-questions-it-does/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The world had taken a deep breath and was having doubts about continuing to revolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/the-world-had-taken-a-deep-breath-and-was-having-doubts-about/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I run the gauntlet of a file of doubts, Each one of which down hurls me to the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/i-run-the-gauntlet-of-a-file-of-doubts-each-one-of-which-down-hurls/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [Another error is an impatience of doubt and haste to assertion without due and mature suspension of judgment. For the two ways of contemplation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/another-error-is-an-impatience-of-doubt-and-haste-to-assertion/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Jealousy lives upon doubts. It becomes madness or ceases entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-lives-upon-doubts-it-becomes-madness-or-ceases-entirely-as/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The problem with the wise is they are so filled with doubts and questions while fools are so certain about things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder-2/the-problem-with-the-wise-is-they-are-so-filled-with-doubts-and/) [Shannon L Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder-2/) > [“In order for a god to be all-knowing, he must know even the fact of his own omniscience. But can he do this? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-puccetti/in-order-for-a-god-to-be-all-knowing-he-must-know-even-the-fact-of/) Roland Puccetti ## More by David James Duncan > [“Because I wasn’t anything anymore. Not anythingI love or know or care about. Because thou shalt not kill, Kade. Thou shalt not kill. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/because-i-wasn-t-anything-anymore-not-anythingi-love-or-know-or-care/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [Our lack of community is intensely painful. A TV talk show is not community. A couple of hours in a church pew each Sabbath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/our-lack-of-community-is-intensely-painful-a-tv-talk-show-is-not/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“It was so good to see him in there, yet so funny to find him so much like me, and so tiny. "Nice kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/it-was-so-good-to-see-him-in-there-yet-so-funny-to-find-him-so-much/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Bobby Edson, like most coaches, was a kind of mystic: he believed the cosmos was endowed with an ineffable muffling system that rendered all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/bobby-edson-like-most-coaches-was-a-kind-of-mystic-he-believed-the/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [--I truly and deeply wanted to kill him. And I believe I could have done it, with nothing but my hands. But all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-truly-and-deeply-wanted-to-kill-him-and-i-believe-i-could-have-done/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Papa was no longer fixing a carburetor: he was setting up a greasy little Cuban missile base smack-dab in the middle of Mama’s immaculate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/papa-was-no-longer-fixing-a-carburetor-he-was-setting-up-a-greasy/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“The Austrian writer Robert Musil summed up the Fanatic's great rhetorical advantage in just ten words: There is no truth which stupidity can't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/the-austrian-writer-robert-musil-summed-up-the-fanatic-s-great/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Is the work of sun worshippers to honor those who think they can see the sun? Or to worship the sun?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/is-the-work-of-sun-worshippers-to-honor-those-who-think-they-can-see/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Peter didn’t want to change the world: he wanted to fully comprehend it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/peter-didn-t-want-to-change-the-world-he-wanted-to-fully-comprehend-it/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“It is a rare high school teacher who enjoys seeing their world being enormously improved upon by youths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/it-is-a-rare-high-school-teacher-who-enjoys-seeing-their-world-being/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [The principles that will save Earth's life are the same principles that save the living souls of humans: ineluctable spiritual principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/the-principles-that-will-save-earth-s-life-are-the-same-principles/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“I’m just saying that his card-burning would have meant far more, on the day he did it, if he hadn’t already incinerated his life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-m-just-saying-that-his-card-burning-would-have-meant-far-more-on/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“I gave him everything from my lunches I hate, which is called Charity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-gave-him-everything-from-my-lunches-i-hate-which-is-called-charity/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“If we can’t be ballplayers together, maybe I can start bein’ a Buddhist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/if-we-can-t-be-ballplayers-together-maybe-i-can-start-bein-a-buddhist/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [As a lifelong student of the world’s wisdom literature, it is my duty to inform students that “ridding the world of evil” is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/as-a-lifelong-student-of-the-world-s-wisdom-literature-it-is-my-duty/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) [Explore all 85 David James Duncan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) ## More Certainty quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/) [Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/) > [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Finding someone that trusted my vision helped me find certainty in who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/finding-someone-that-trusted-my-vision-helped-me-find-certainty-in/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 1,776 Certainty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started having doubts right on top of my certainty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David James Duncan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of-my-certainty/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of-my-certainty/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/david-james-duncan-8032_certainty_i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of_2948265.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/david-james-duncan-8032_certainty_i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of_2948265.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d7/david-james-duncan-8032_certainty_i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of_2948265.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I started having doubts right on top of my certainty.” — David James Duncan", "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": "David James Duncan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I started having doubts right on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of-my-certainty/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-started-having-doubts-right-on-top-of-my-certainty/#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 } } ] } ```