Although it appears that I have been blessed with a successful life and enjoy many of the benefits our society values, I struggle with a constant companion, or should I say enemy—self-doubt. A life based on confidence and trust in my abilities seems illusive. Writing this research paper has offered me a chance to gain a deeper understanding of this life-long, unresolved issue. My hope, although tempered with realistic expectation, is nothing less than life-changing insight. I will apply various sociological perspectives to understand an issue that I believe has plagued and limited me to a significant degree most of my life. My intention is to gain a better understanding of its primary and contributing causes from both a personal as well as a larger scale macro sociological point of view. Through this exploration, I’ve come to understand that my thoughts are a critical component contributing to the direction of my life. While tuning my attention to better understand my inner critic, I began hearing something else for the first time. Almost as if adjusting the tuning on a radio, I began picking up a new frequency. I began noticing my ability to analyze situations from a healthy, critical perspective. I soon realized that I use this ability quite often. I now see how this ability has saved me from making poor decisions and has directed me at pivotal times in my life. I will work to clearly distinguish my inner critic and self-doubt from my ability to critically analyze in a healthy and helpful way.