Able Quote by Italo Svevo
“Who knows whether, if I had given up smoking, I should really have become the strong perfect man I imagined? Perhaps it was this very doubt that bound me to my vice, because life is so much pleasanter if one is able to believe in one's own latent greatness”
About This Quote
Self‑doubt can tether us to harmful habits, yet believing in hidden potential makes life more enjoyable.
In simple terms: Doubt keeps us stuck, but hope eases life.
Key Takeaway
Challenge limiting beliefs and pursue growth.
Themes
self‑esteem
addiction
potential
Mood
introspective
motivational
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- quitting smoking
- career change
- creative projects
- personal coaching
Key Concepts
psychology
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What hidden strengths might you be ignoring?
- How does doubt both hinder and motivate you?
A Different Perspective
Overconfidence can also blind us to risks.
![“[...] in his experience, reversion was the nature of things-people who had given up smoking (he touched the cigarette cocked behind his ear without being aware of it) wanted to go on smoking, and pictures that had been hanging crooked since Nixon was President wanted to go on hanging crooked.” quote by Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a89/stephen-king-13_life_in-his-experience-reversion-was-the-natu_1795222.jpg)
![“[Man] has imagined a heaven, and has left entirely out of it the supremest of all his delights, the one ecstasy that stands first and foremost in the heart of every individual of his race…sexual intercourse! It is as if a lost and perishing person in a roasting desert should be told by a rescuer…” quote by Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/939/christopher-ryan-4309_joy_man-has-imagined-a-heaven-and-has-left-e_187069.jpg)
