DEV Community

Cover image for Is Doubt a Sign You're on the Right Path?
dev.to staff for The DEV Team

Posted on

Is Doubt a Sign You're on the Right Path?

Doubt often arises when we're pushing boundaries or pursuing meaningful goals, signaling that we're stepping out of our comfort zones.

Have you experienced doubt in your career or personal pursuits? How do you interpret and overcome moments of doubt?


Follow the DEVteam for more discussions and online camaraderie!

Top comments (12)

Collapse
 
stefanmoore profile image
Stefan Moore

Yeah, as I'm looking to switch careers at a later stage in life I'm full of doubts which lead into all kinds of negative thoughts. But you know, before I can prove anyone else wrong lets find a solution to the doubts and negative thoughts.

Collapse
 
schalkneethling profile image
Schalk Neethling

Oh my goodness, I experience it at least once a week. Sometimes it can be pretty bad and kinda take me out for most of a day. What works for me is to just let it out, sit with my frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty, and share it with those around me that I know care.

I then take a deep breath and just get right back to it. I do think these stories of overnight success one sees on social media play into this. One also often sees people doing really well doing something you might consider pointless or something that does not contribute to a better world for us all. This can be frustrating, just remember that these are often the loudest voices in the room.

There is no reason to try and be louder by yourself. Find or start a community and make a ruckus together.

Collapse
 
anmolbaranwal profile image
Anmol Baranwal

I don't think there is such a thing as overnight success :D

It takes years of hard work, and the patience of this new generation (my generation) is definitely very low.

Collapse
 
anmolbaranwal profile image
Anmol Baranwal

A very hard question.
I used to have doubts, and I still do, but on a very minor scale.

No one knows what the best path is, so it's better if we don't regret the paths we have taken. Life will be full of doubts, but that is what makes it all worth it :D

You can read about crazies decisions about my life which will tell you why I'm saying this.

quote

Collapse
 
raguram90 profile image
RamR

when i have doubts, i simply sit and think about that. then i'll write down the right and left side decisions. if i write about a problem or doubt, then it will reduce most of the confusing stuffs.

after i made decision, neither i feel happy nor sad, now i'm matured enough to accept the result. few years back i used to worry for my bad decissions .

Collapse
 
xet7 profile image
Lauri Ojansivu

Being on my own path is my way. Pushing limits. There sometimes is some moment of doubt, but it soon goes away.

Image description

Collapse
 
thumbone profile image
Bernd Wechner

Hmmmm. Sadly, more than most memes this one is only useful in a subset of areas, all things being equal half or fewer.

That is, knowing the limits of possibility can help you invest (time, energy, money) into fruitful outcomes and not squander them on dead ends that were see already from the distance.

For example:

Go to the moon: good meme (those who said "impossible" were sidelined and we won!)

Hyperloop: bad meme (lots of investors duped).

My latter example is risky, of course, as the power of unbridled optimism that refuses to consider limits at all, is strong indeed and needs its counter meme ๐Ÿ˜‰. Not least because, the impossible is often distantly or nebulously impossible. In the case of a Hyperloop a simple informed cost and risk analysis makes it clearly impossible to deliver at cost and safety standards that competing modes of transport achieve.

But there's no shortage of impossibles and you need look no further than the abundance of perpetual motion claims and scams scattered throughout history.

Collapse
 
montyharper profile image
Monty Harper

Is doubt a sign you're on the right path? No, I don't think so - I'm often wracked with doubt whether it turns out I'm on the right path or the wrong path. Doubt can be crushing, but it has a purpose, much like fear or anxiety - and recognizing that can help keep doubt in its place. Doubt tells us to slow down and re-evaluate.

When I first read the question though, I got a certain vibe from it - I think maybe the reason you asked is if we don't feel any doubt, perhaps we're on a boring, "safe" path that just won't lead to innovation. So if excitement, risk, and progress is what you're after, then yeah, that comes with doubt. But so does sitting on your butt doing the same old thing; I would be just as likely to doubt myself doing that: should I be taking more risks? Maybe so...

Which leads to the whole question of what makes a particular path right or wrong, and that's something we each must answer for ourselves.

So bottom line for me:
All we can do is try to make good choices, re-evaluate a bit when doubt creeps in, and keep moving along.

Collapse
 
thumbone profile image
Bernd Wechner

Experienced it? It's the water!

youtu.be/DCbGM4mqEVw

As in it's the default position, the governing principle, the modus operandi. Certainty is a hint of insanity.

Collapse
 
alxwnth profile image
Alex

I see doubt as a sign to slow down a little bit. Look around, assess what youโ€™re doing, maybe your gut is telling there are ways to do it better or avoid pitfalls.

Collapse
 
jenc profile image
Jen Chan

All the fricking time

Collapse
 
jesse4379 profile image
jesse4379

Thank you !!