--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He wrestled with himself, like Jacob…" description: "\"“He wrestled with himself, like Jacob . . . like every leader ever to set foot on this earth. It is not faith that distinguishes our real leaders. It i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/guillermo-del-toro-986_faith_he-wrestled-with-himself-like-jacob-like_434589.png" --- # He wrestled with himself, like Jacob . . . like every… ![“He wrestled with himself, like Jacob . . . like every leader ever to set foot on this earth. It is not faith that distinguishes our real leaders. It is doubt. Their ability to overcome it.” quote by Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/guillermo-del-toro-986_faith_he-wrestled-with-himself-like-jacob-like_434589.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/guillermo-del-toro-986_faith_he-wrestled-with-himself-like-jacob-like_434589.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff9/guillermo-del-toro-986_faith_he-wrestled-with-himself-like-jacob-like_434589.png) > ““He wrestled with himself, like Jacob . . . like every leader ever to set foot on this earth. It is not faith that distinguishes our real leaders. It is doubt. Their ability to overcome it.”” [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders are defined by their capacity to confront and move beyond doubt, not by blind faith. **In simple terms:** Leaders succeed by handling doubt. Key Takeaway Embrace doubt, act despite it. Themes leadership confidence uncertainty resilience Mood reflective determined Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - business leadership - political campaigns - personal growth - team management Key Concepts psychology decision making self‑leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn doubt into a strategic advantage? - When has doubt helped you avoid a mistake? A Different Perspective Doubt can paralyze if not managed; overconfidence may ignore necessary caution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Real Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-leaders/) ## Related quotes > [“It is not faith that distinguishes our real leaders. It is doubt. Their ability to overcome it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/it-is-not-faith-that-distinguishes-our-real-leaders-it-is-doubt-their/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“Between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Between the Jacob I like and the one who annoys the hell out of me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/between-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-between-the-jacob-i-like-and-the-one/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [I'm not dangerous at all I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob."Renesmee dropped Edward's hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-m-not-dangerous-at-all-i-never-hurt-grandpa-or-sue-or-billy-i-love/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“Other attempts appear as scars, weals, parentheses in conversation, absent days in his diary. But, at the same time, according to Stuart's weird sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-masters/other-attempts-appear-as-scars-weals-parentheses-in-conversation/) [Alexander Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-masters/) > [Like Jacob of old, my testament consists of me wrestling in pain with God to acknowledge the depths of my life in the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-a-dixon/like-jacob-of-old-my-testament-consists-of-me-wrestling-in-pain-with/) [Carl A Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-a-dixon/) > [“I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-never-hurt-grandpa-or-sue-or-billy-i-love-humans-and-wolf-people/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [If, like Jacob, you trust God in little things, He may answer you by great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ross-macduff/if-like-jacob-you-trust-god-in-little-things-he-may-answer-you-by/) [John Ross Macduff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ross-macduff/) > [“Just like Jacob, Larkin made me realize that no matter how much you think you know a person-no matter how pretty they are, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-rothenberg/just-like-jacob-larkin-made-me-realize-that-no-matter-how-much-you/) [Jess Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-rothenberg/) > [“We want our way like David with Bathsheba We are dreamers we are schemers like Jacob the deceiver But You meet us at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-arends/we-want-our-way-like-david-with-bathsheba-we-are-dreamers-we-are/) Carolyn Arends > [“Sydney tried — sometimes he really tried — but his default mindset didn’t have those kinds of manners. What he really meant was more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mckinsey/sydney-tried-sometimes-he-really-tried-but-his-default-mindset-didn-t/) [Rebecca McKinsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mckinsey/) > [“Much of our understanding of God's action in outlying is achieved in hindsight. When a particular crisis or event in our life has passed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-cassidy/much-of-our-understanding-of-god-s-action-in-outlying-is-achieved-in/) [Sheila Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-cassidy/) > [While followers idealize the real, leaders realize the ideal... They outshine with their power of love those whose only motivation is love of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debashis-chatterjee/while-followers-idealize-the-real-leaders-realize-the-ideal-they/) [Debashis Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debashis-chatterjee/) > [ The real leadership of the opposition is never, ever gonna do anything but continue to ramp up efforts to stop \[Donald\] Trump or destroy… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-real-leadership-of-the-opposition-is-never-ever-gonna-do-anything/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Anyone can start something new. It takes real leaders to stop something old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anyone-can-start-something-new-it-takes-real-leaders-to-stop/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only the mediocre die always at their best. Real leaders are always improving - and raising their bar on how superbly they can perform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-the-mediocre-die-always-at-their-best-real-leaders-are-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Guillermo del Toro > [“Tom Hiddleston is so fucking nice. It used to be in the past you were either nice, or you were good-looking and an asshole.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/tom-hiddleston-is-so-fucking-nice-it-used-to-be-in-the-past-you-were/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [When you work with a great director, you can have a great partnership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/when-you-work-with-a-great-director-you-can-have-a-great-partnership/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [You think if you work hard enough, you can fix the precious things you've broken - rather than being careful with them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/you-think-if-you-work-hard-enough-you-can-fix-the-precious-things-you/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? A moment of pain, perhaps. 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Sometimes you get more bread, sometimes less bread, but you always get shit."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-say-making-movies-is-like-eating-a-sandwich-of-shit-sometimes-you/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > ['Crimson' is written in a very particular style, and it's very precise in the way it graduates into a gothic romance. The souls that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/crimson-is-written-in-a-very-particular-style-and-it-s-very-precise/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Any actor I admire and enjoy working with - Sergi Lopez as the bad guy in 'Pan's Labyrinth,' or the little girl who played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/any-actor-i-admire-and-enjoy-working-with-sergi-lopez-as-the-bad-guy/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“All belief systems are elaborate fabrications, if logic is followed out to the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/all-belief-systems-are-elaborate-fabrications-if-logic-is-followed/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Studios look backward. Filmmakers look forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/studios-look-backward-filmmakers-look-forward/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Normally a period movie has a lot of problems with the graphics. They look modern made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/normally-a-period-movie-has-a-lot-of-problems-with-the-graphics-they/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) [Explore all 310 Guillermo del Toro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. 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