Doubt: A Psychological Exploration

178 Pages·2022·12.343 MB·English

by  Geoffrey Beattie

“This is one of the most brilliant books I have ever come across. Its aim is
to address the question of what is doubt, not directly in any circumscribed
defnitional standard, but by examining the powerful role it has had (and
continues to have) in human life. To do so, Geof Beattie takes the reader on a
narrative journey into the minds of some of the greatest writers and scientists
of history in order to cast light on how their doubts shaped their creative and
scientifc accomplishments. He also looks at how doubt is harnessed maliciously
to spread conspiracy theories about such things as climate change. Written
in his usual accessible narrative style – let us not forget that Beattie is also an
accomplished novelist as well as a distinguished psychologist – this book will be
hard to put down. Its implications for grasping who we are as a species – we are
the only species that possesses doubt – and for harnessing or counteracting its
enormous power of control over human life, make it a must read for everyone.”
Marcel Danesi, PhD, FRCS, Professor Emeritus of
Anthropology, University of Toronto, Canada
“Beattie brilliantly illustrates the science of doubt with fascinating case studies
from doubters like Kafka, to non-doubters like Picasso and how it can be
addressed therapeutically, as in Brendan Ingle’s boxing gym in Shefeld.”
Brian Butterworth, Professor Emeritus of Cognitive
Neuropsychology, University College London, UK
“Geof Beattie has written a brilliantly entertaining book about the little
considered phenomenon of doubt, focusing mainly but not exclusively on self-
doubt. Part memoir, part an examination of the psychology of doubt, and part
an examination of the role of doubt (or lack of it) in the lives of key historical
fgures – Jung, Kafka, Picasso, Ernest Dichter (a psychoanalyst who devoted his
talents to promoting the consumption of cigarettes) and Alan Turing – the book
ofers a wide-ranging and unique appreciation of the importance of doubt in
individual minds and in human afairs.”
Richard Bentall, PhD, FBA, Professor of Clinical
Psychology, University of Shefeld, UK

Doubt
Blending the latest academic research with case studies of famous fgures, this highly
insightful book presents ‘doubt’ as a central concept for psychology. It is a concept
which has been oddly neglected in the past, despite its ubiquitous nature and
far-reaching infuence.
Exploring everything from self-doubt and impostor syndrome to the
weaponisation of doubt with respect to climate change and the marketing of
cigarettes, bestselling author Geofrey Beattie navigates readers through the
various ways doubt can start and develop, changing the individual in the process.
Written in Beattie’s distinctive and engaging style, Doubt takes the reader into
the lives of transformational thinkers, artists, scientists and writers to explore
how and why doubt was crucial in their lives and how the likes of Kafka, Jung,
Picasso and Turing succumbed to doubt or learned to control it. Beattie argues
that doubt is central to the self; it can be either a safeguarding mechanism or a
distraction, rational or irrational, systematic or random, healthy or pathological,
productive or non-productive. The book helps readers to recognise how doubt
may have been operating in their own lives and to identify how and when it
has been used against us – for example, to prevent climate action – and at what
personal and societal cost.
Presenting a compelling case for why doubt cannot be ignored, this book is
of major interest to academics from a wide range of disciplines, including social
and cognitive psychology, clinical and counselling psychology, sport psychology,
sociology, business studies, politics, art and literature, as well as the general public,
who may well see something of themselves in its pages.
Geofrey Beattie is a prize-winning academic, author and broadcaster. He
received his PhD from Trinity College Cambridge and is now Professor of
Psychology at Edge Hill University, as well as Fellow of the British Psychological
Society, the Royal Society of Medicine and the Royal Society of Arts.

Doubt
A Psychological Exploration
Geofrey Beattie
Designed cover image: Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Geofrey Beattie
The right of Geofrey Beattie to be identifed as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Beattie, Geofrey, author.
Title: Doubt : a psychological exploration / Geofrey Beattie.
Description: 1 Edition. | New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifers: LCCN 2022026173 (print) | LCCN 2022026174 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032252056 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781032252049 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003282051 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Belief and doubt. | Self-confdence.
Classifcation: LCC BF773 .B423 2023 (print) | LCC BF773 (ebook) |
DDC 153.4—dc23/eng/20220825
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022026173
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022026174
ISBN: 978-1-032-25205-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-25204-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-28205-1 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003282051
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
For Joshua and Olivia Beattie and a future full of hope and
promise, and less doubt.

Contents
Acknowledgements x
1 Introduction: the nature and meaning of doubt 1
2 Alone in doubt 17
3 Jung’s dream 29
4 Feeling like a fraud 40
5 ‘I, the King’ 57
6 The perils of a doubt-free life 75
7 Treating doubt the hard way 86
8 Manufacturing doubt 106
9 Our house is on fre 136
10 Concluding remarks 149
References 154
Index 160