“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Verbatim closing sentence of the authentic 'Man often becomes what he believes himself to be...' passage; carried in The Essential Gandhi (ed. L. Fischer) and widely; no dated primary (Young India/Harijan) pinned.
About this quote
Confidence here isn't magic; it's a decision to begin before you feel ready. Belief keeps you practicing through the clumsy early stage where quitting feels reasonable, and the skill accumulates out of that repetition. The capacity arrives after the commitment, not before it.
When to use it
- A career-changer enrolls in coding classes with no background and ships real projects month by month.
- Someone terrified of water signs up for adult swim lessons and finishes a full lap by summer.
- A shy new hire volunteers to present, stumbles at first, then becomes the team's go-to speaker.