--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surely it is the one who fears he is…" description: "\"“Surely it is the one who fears he is wrong who avoids criticism. The one who is sure he is right invites it. It only illuminates the strength of belie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/david-l-wolfe-74827_confidence_surely-it-is-the-one-who-fears-he-is-wro_2713346.jpg" --- # Surely it is the one who fears he is wrong who avoids… ![“Surely it is the one who fears he is wrong who avoids criticism. The one who is sure he is right invites it. It only illuminates the strength of beliefs and makes them more available to others.” quote by David L. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/david-l-wolfe-74827_confidence_surely-it-is-the-one-who-fears-he-is-wro_2713346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/david-l-wolfe-74827_confidence_surely-it-is-the-one-who-fears-he-is-wro_2713346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/david-l-wolfe-74827_confidence_surely-it-is-the-one-who-fears-he-is-wro_2713346.jpg) > ““Surely it is the one who fears he is wrong who avoids criticism. The one who is sure he is right invites it. It only illuminates the strength of beliefs and makes them more available to others.”” David L. Wolfe ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Confidence invites critique, which clarifies and strengthens beliefs, while fear of error leads to avoidance. **In simple terms:** Confidence welcomes criticism to strengthen beliefs. Key Takeaway Seek criticism to test and refine beliefs. Themes confidence criticism beliefs growth mindset Mood reflective analytical encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - team meetings - personal reflection - public speaking - academic debate - product testing Key Concepts Socratic method psychology of belief feedback loops Questions to Reflect On - How do you react to criticism? - What beliefs could benefit from scrutiny? A Different Perspective Overconfidence may cause defensiveness; criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Insecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity/) ## Related quotes > [“I hope you can take some constructive criticism.” “Sure.” “It sounds like you are trying to make too many people happy.” Court looked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-greaney/i-hope-you-can-take-some-constructive-criticism-sure-it-sounds-like/) [Mark Greaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-greaney/) > [Good men have the fewest fears. He has but one great fear who fears to do wrong; he has a thousand who has overcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/good-men-have-the-fewest-fears-he-has-but-one-great-fear-who-fears-to/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [He has but one great fear that fears to do wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/he-has-but-one-great-fear-that-fears-to-do-wrong/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [In life, there is always someone out there, who won't like you, for whatever reason, don't let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/in-life-there-is-always-someone-out-there-who-won-t-like-you-for/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [Conceit is a sure sign of insecurity; humility denotes awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/conceit-is-a-sure-sign-of-insecurity-humility-denotes-awareness/) [Sivaya Subramuniyaswami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/) > [Fear. People are afraid of talking about their fears and insecurities. They're afraid of expressing emotion beyond anger, dominance, or power, and they're afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/fear-people-are-afraid-of-talking-about-their-fears-and-insecurities/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Marriage is going to disappear, should disappear. And now the point is coming in the history of humanity where it becomes possible that marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/marriage-is-going-to-disappear-should-disappear-and-now-the-point-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Each one of us requires the spur of insecurity to force us to do our best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-w-dodds/each-one-of-us-requires-the-spur-of-insecurity-to-force-us-to-do-our/) Harold W. Dodds > [Singaporeans generally feel more secure these days. One of our tasks is to remind them that this, a result of a continuing act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/singaporeans-generally-feel-more-secure-these-days-one-of-our-tasks/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [Many times I've sat with a camera and another actor and seen all their fears and insecurities and struggles. You want to support them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eccleston/many-times-i-ve-sat-with-a-camera-and-another-actor-and-seen-all/) [Christopher Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eccleston/) > [“she still had that fundamental insecurity that one bout of poverty can inflict for a lifetime, and no amount of money remedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-deighton/she-still-had-that-fundamental-insecurity-that-one-bout-of-poverty/) [Len Deighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-deighton/) > [I was beautiful the day we met, But now I'm not so sure. Awkward and alone, you don't make me feel sexy anymore. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-beautiful-the-day-we-met-but-now-i-m-not-so-sure-awkward-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) ## More by David L. Wolfe > [“We all know dogmatists who are more concerned about holding their opinions than about investigating their truth. ... if they are mistaken, they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-wolfe/we-all-know-dogmatists-who-are-more-concerned-about-holding-their/) David L. Wolfe > [“I do not have it in for relativism. In many respects I find it a fascinating, even attractive, alternative. It engenders epistemological humility, defeats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-wolfe/i-do-not-have-it-in-for-relativism-in-many-respects-i-find-it-a/) David L. Wolfe Explore all 3 David L. Wolfe quotes ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) Senoraroy > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Surely it is the one who fears he is wrong who avoids criticism. The one who is sure he is right invites it. It only illuminates the strength of beliefs and makes them more available to others.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David L. 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