My name is Four Eyes, and I suffer from the What-If-It-Sucks Syndrome.
What-If-It-Sucks Syndrome: A mental state where a person second guesses everything they do. This includes but is not exclusive to writing, talking, blogging, and less commonly gift-giving. Symptoms may occur at any given point, and last for indefinite amounts of time.
I’m down. My batteries need recharging. I don’t know what’s happening. My head isn’t working! Work, damn it, work! I haven’t been able to think of a single thing to write. I start writing something, and then stop after I’ve decided that it’s a stupid idea.
There’s an evil voice inside our head that tells us we can’t do something. It’s a voice I’ve plotted to murder many (many, many, many) times (and quite violently). It comes back no matter what. I guess the only thing we can do about it is tell it to shut up and go do that one thing we’re so afraid of.
I’m afraid of the publish button.
I haven’t pressed the thing in months. I always schedule posts to avoid it. Pressing the button gets me all panic-y.
“OH NO! I PRESSED IT! IT’S DONE! NOW EVERYBODY WILL SEE MY STUPID POST! WHAT IF IT SUCKS?!!” (panic)….(panic)…..(panic)….
I also start thinking in all caps. I don’t like thinking in all caps.
I’ve had enough! I’m not going to let the evil voice take over my head! I will NOT suffer from the What-If-It-Sucks Syndrome anymore.
(Things make so much more sense with doodle people)
Today I pressed the Publish button. It was a big deal. I did it! There’s no stopping me now. I’m invincible.
Now on to more important things. Do you like my doodles? And do you agree that I’m going to be a famous artist someday?!
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Miss Four Eyes 
LOL I have the same feeling sometime, I hit the publish button, go to bed and think, Christ people are going to think me a right idiot.. SO what.. I am..LOL I love every thing you publish 🙂 hugs and love xx00xxx Pee-ess Can you send the coral thing to me 🙂 xx
Mollie and Alfie
Hehe, I like being an idiot! Thanks Stella, you’re the best. *hugs*
Sure thing, I’ll send them right away 🙂
I get that all the time, I have what-if-it-sucks syndrome too. The more you worry about it the more you will think about the suckage (that is so not meant to sound as rude as it does).
You are so right. Looks like more people suffer from it than I thought. But, hey, at least we’re all in this together. So we can all just relax now 🙂
relaxing is good.
I also suffer from this syndrome. But i go ahead and hit the Publish button. I have also had to hit the Trash button when i realize that the post I have written is WAY too personal and could hurt someone (usually my daughter) very much, as I did last week. That sucks. I should have realized it earlier before I spent the time to write it. Duh. I love what you publish. You are a fine writer. Go ahead and hit that Publish button. You really don’t suck. Seriously. You don’t.
I understand that. It’s a weird relationship we have with the publish button huh? Something so harmless can change so many things.
Thank you so much for all those nice things! You just made my day!
The older you get, The-More-It-Sucks.
No! Really? Well, I’m going to have to get started with more doodles then
You will definitely be a famous artist some day! I have the same problem…sigh…very relatable and funny post.
Thanks, Rachelle! So weird that we all know what this is like.
I think we all suffer from this a little bit. At least, I know I do. Don’t worry NBG, your posts are ALWAYS awesomesauce. And your doodles are fantastic!
Naked hugs for you!
Naked hugs for me? Woohoo!
Thanks, Sexy Stormtrooper! You’re the sweetest
Woohoo!!
I get that feeling a lot. And I’ve especially had this feeling this week. I’ve started three drafts for posts, but none of them felt right, so I stopped. And I’m pretty sure the voice and the publish button were mocking me. But your magnificent doodles have made things clear, and I am going to post something today, mo matter what the Sucks-voice says.
Woot! So happy my doodles did something good today 😀
Yes! Just the perfect motivation. 🙂
I like your doodle and it will be better if the doodle person doesn’t stay behind those black squares. 😉
Thanks for the input, I’ll put some clothes on them next time 😉
I used the same guy as here https://missfoureyes.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/appreciating-nakedness/
I suffer from the same syndrome but my voice is always drunk so she acts delayed.
I hit “publish” and then think “Damn! this post sucks, I hope I get at least 10 likes out of sympathy”
This post doesn’t suck.
I love your doodles, would you design a banner for me?
I’d pay you in gummy bears, 10 gummy bears up front and 5 when finished.
I’m kidding, but I do love your doodles, as I love Stella’s.
I like your voice better. Hmm, getting my evil voice drunk isn’t a bad idea…
What? No gummy worms? No sale!
Kidding. But really though, if you want me to design a banner, I’d be happy to do it 🙂
Are you for real? Would really make a doodle for my blog? I think I just peed in my pants and wet the chair!!!
Sure! Just tell me what you want, and I’ll come up with something 😀
(seriously, you gotta give me some specifications, I’m a mess without them)
I think it’s time to switch to shit-this-is-great!
Yup, it’s time. SHIT-THIS-IS-GREAT!!
Damn straight, Lady Jane.
I love your doodles and that gif, and your writing voice! I know exactly what you are saying all too well. But give your audience some credit here, we love you so much we eat up even shitty posts….wait that sounds really wrong! But focus on writing without projecting what we might think, free yourself, its going to come back. I will be here!
Thank you so much, G! All those nice things you said, I’m smiling like a crazy person 😀
Free myself? Yes, gotta work on that. I’m feeling a little better already. The gears in my head have started to move a little, if not all the way
It is so much fun to make fun of ourselves, eh. Publish, be brave, be very brave, Publish. I just reblog something to this effect this morning. Must be the day of what if. Tee Hee.
Be brave, publish! That should be a catch phrase or something 😀
P.S. I hope you don’t mind if I will reblog this in the future. Thanks.
Of course not! And thanks, in advance 😉
Oh man I loved this post. The gif was so darn adorable (your blog makes me use this word way too much) and I definitely wanna see more doodles from now on! WIISS is pretty common to creative types it seems. I get it a lot with books and music. I’m happily typing/rocking/blogging away when suddenly it occurs to me that it might not be quite as awesome as I hope it is!
It’s a sucky feeling, but we push on, and no matter what, it’s so worth keeping going. I’ve realized over the years that no matter what we do, someone, somewhere is gonna think it sucks. Someone thinks the Mona Lisa sucks, someone thinks The Beatles suck, someone even thinks chocolate milkshakes suck!!!! But, if we do our best and create from our heart (corny) there will always be someone out there who loves it, probably more than we do! And we owe it to them to push that scary publish button 🙂
Loved this post 🙂
Rohan.
*gasp* what kind of person thinks chocolate milkshakes suck?! Surely these are people of fairytales?
You’re right (of course you are), there’s always going to be someone who thinks we suck. “But, if we do our best and create from our heart (corny) there will always be someone out there who loves it, probably more than we do! And we owe it to them to push that scary publish button” I love corny. And I love this, it’s so perfect. We owe it to that one person to create and share it no matter how much it terrifies us.
Thanks for that, Rohan! I think I’m one step closer to being cured of WIISS.
Oh and you are definitely going to see more doodles! I just love drawing them 😀
Hehe, happy to help, and yay for more doodles, I couldn’t stop watching the gif lol, so cute and funny!
Rohan.
PS. Big adorable, non-sucky, nudey hugs 🙂
Rohan.
*adorable, non-sucky, nudiy hugs* right back 😉
and some more
I can really relate to this post. I get stressed before I publish, my finger hovering over the mouse, afraid to click. Nice knowing I’m not alone. Plus, one of the easiest ways to make me laugh is when someone says they’re going to do “the shit” out of something, so that doodle cracked me up.
Don’t worry you are definitely not alone. Half the people here go through the same thing. You’re brave enough to publish it in the end, and that’s pretty great.
So glad you liked my doodle 😀
Yay! You pushed it! And your words are those we can all relate to. Unless one has the ego of Donald Trump, most of us have the “What-If-It-Sucks Syndrome.” (Great name for it, by the way.) In fact, I think you should petition to get the syndrome into the new DSM-V that’s about to come out. 🙂
Also the abbreviation is really cool! WIISS!
If I’d be diagnosed with that I’d be super happy: ‘sir, it seems you suffer from WEEEEEEESS!!!!!’
That should be a fun one for the medical transcriptionist!
Haha! 😀
A petition? That’s a great idea! We need to get the What-If-It-Sucks Syndrome to be an official thing!
It seems you just became immortal! Welcome to the club!
Yay! Looks like I’m in really great company
😀 Well, you’ll definitely be a famous “something”. Could be even more famous if you remove the blanking out bits from the pics. I’ve never scheduled anything. I just type and post. Only then do I see the spelling mistakes or grammatical errors I’ve made. So far, no-one has commented on them. Maybe they feel sorry for me. Anyway, as you say, it’s our very own personal blog so, if we want to write rubbish or make silly mistakes, it’s ours in which to do it. Well done on doing that “scary thing”. Don’t you feel better for it now?
Thanks, Susan! I do feel a lot better for it now. It feels good.
(P.S. I fixed the blanking out bits 😉 )
That comes around here often I just always hope our faithful followers do not give up on us before we have something to write that is more interesting. We found this post to be interesting and we relate very well. Hugs
That’s the great thing about WP, people are so nice here. Just remember you are not alone, we’re all going through it.
Thanks, Chancy! Hugs 🙂
You will most definitely be a famous artist one day. And the best answer to what if it sucks? Well, what if it does? Sucking is okay. In fact, it’s kind of necessary to learning how to not suck. Glad you hit publish today.
I like this. Sucking is OKAY!
Thank you, Ashley! (and for saying that I’ll be a famous artist. Woot!)
You already be famous. Who else can hold the hearts of an imaginary squirrel AND an imaginary pony? Huh? Oh, and you DID publish the shit out of that post. Well done. I need to kick out that voice too. Maybe we could have our voices get married and run off somewhere.
I’m not drunk just crazy.
Haha! Alice, you crack me up!
*evil voice on bent knee* ‘Alice’s evil voice, will you marry me?’
LOVE your doodles. And this it totally my Man-Beast. He second guesses everything (except for me!) He has to return everything he buys. Clothes. Food. Beds (we returned two, we are on bed number three.) But I guess in some weird way that’s why I married him – he’s particular about what he does and says! xoxo
You two sound like a great match! I freak out the second my card gets swiped “What have I done?!!”
I have mixed feelings about clicking on the gif. On one hand, it was funny and I had a laugh. One the other hand, I was unprepared for naked stick people and feel, well, dirty.
I’m sorry Calahan, I should have had a warning up there. You all better now?
I guess. I mean, the tears have stopped, so I’m on my way.
There there. It’s all over now.
Congrats on hitting the big blue button! Love the gif. 🙂
Thanks! 😀
Welcome back! I love your stuff. I am all about the what-if-it-sucks syndrome right now 😉
Thanks, Steph! Feels good to be back!
Oh no, not you too. You do NOT suck. At all! Because you’re awesome, and no matter what you do you will always be awesome! So publish away, and I’ll be there to read it for sure 😉
THIS IS MY WHOLE LIFE. This is especially true at a restaurant, when I might pay money to eat something that sucks.
Me too! What if it’s horrible? And how do you know it won’t be?
I know how exactly you feel, but for me the feeling of “let’s-get-this-over-with-already” overcomes my WIIS syndrome.
Now that’s good! At least you get things done. I’m more of a hold-it-off-as-long-as-possible person.
I ask myself that question, every time I fork over $12 for a movie ticket. This post was funny Miss Four Eyes and your sketches will be in museums one day.
Thanks, Wendy! You just made my day! 😀
I’m afflicted, too! I always schedule. But it’s mostly because of timing. But also fear.
Scheduling is one of WP’s best features. It’s a life saver!
❤ Of course you're awesome. I love your posts. I just randomly write things and click the button. No going back. Welcome random thoughts.
Thanks, Alice! You are awesome, I love random thoughts! Nothing is better than random thoughts.
I have a tendency to say them out loud. My coworkers don’t know what to make of me. Wait until I start the new job. Mwahahaha new victims!
Reblogged this on theseeker and commented:
Who cares if our blog is not up to your standard. Just write, right! It’s my blog and it happens that I am entertaining myself. So forget about having that jittery nerves of “What If” I don’t have enough likes or comments. Who cares. Miss Four Eyes has something to say about this.
Thank you so much for the reblog, Seeker!
My pleasure. You said better than I do. Very expressively funny.
I love the doodles! Love the message in this post, you are dead on, who cares if people like what we write, at least were writing 🙂
Exactly! That’s the thing to remember. ‘Who cares?!’
Thanks, Jayde!
Yay! It does not suck! Great doodles and the gif made me laugh 🙂
Yay! Glad you liked them! 😀
You’re doodles are awesome! Your posts are fantastic! You just keep hitting the publish button!!!! Ohhhh Yeahhhh!!!! That’s what I’m talking about baby!!!
Thank you, Amber!
You cracked me up with that! YOU are awesome.
I’m glad I could make you laugh. My job here for today, is now done…
I hope we see a lot more doodles. Also, perhaps a what-if-it-sucks support group? I’ll go first. Hi, my name is Kay, and sometimes I think that the jokes I make in comments might not actually be that funny.
Hiiiiiiiii Kay!
My name is Four Eyes, and sometimes I think the same thing.
You liked my doodles? Yay! I’m definitely going to do more of them 😉
Hiiiiiii Four Eyes!
You’re already a famous artist to me. Plus, nothing you write ever sucks because you’re awesome. See? Simple. 🙂 Glad you braved the Publish button!
Oh Rara, you make things so easy. *dino hugs*
*dino hugs* right back!
Partner,
Just reach out if you need help and I’ll do what I can.
I’m wrestling with writing my second book, so i understand what it means to have difficulty channeling your greatness.
And you do have greatness inside you. Tons of it, in fact!
I’m dealing with a few major issues right now, but we’ll always support one another.
Be well, baby.
The Hook
Thank you so much, partner. I actually feel a lot better now. Turns out all I need was a little time. (and doodling, that helps too)
Good luck with your second book! It’s going to be great, I just know it. And whatever you’re going through, I hope it’s all better very soon. I’m always here for you if you need anything.
Lots of hugs
Right back at ya, partner!
Great post, we all have that voice and it continually talks to us. I read this last night and can’t appropriately comment on my phone. Don’t listen to that voice. You have great ability and talent to do anything you want to do. You may not be excellent at everything but the only way to get better is try. Thank you for a great article and the wonderful doodles. 🙂 Never forget that you are my hero.
You, Jon, YOU are my hero. You and Rohan up there will probably be the cure to all of my self-doubt.
Thank you for everything that you are.
Hugs 🙂
You are welcome!!
I love this!!
So glad you like it! 😀
I DO like your doodles! And congratulations on taking that big step.
On another note I think you may have gotten a notification saying that I’m following you when I have been following you the whole time. I had turned off the email notification for blogs I follow because I only wanted to get them from the reader while I’m not blogging so extensively. At the top of the screen on the blogs I follow the little check would still indicate that I’m following but the email subscriber button would read “follow”. For some reason I panicked when I saw that button on your side bar, and pressed it, which probably means that you’ve received a notification that I am now following you. But I’ve been following all along — ah — see — you’re not the only one who suffers from on-screen button pushing anxiety syndrome ~sigh~
Sandee, I missed ya!
Don’t worry about it, happens to everyone. I once accidentally clicked the unfollow button on someone’s blog and panicked like crazy. 😀
I was going to make a joke about how men like it when women suck, but instead I’m going to ask you how your bowel movements are. Things getting any better?
I was so ready for someone to make a joke like that. But, nothing! Not a one.
Things are running smoothly…probably shouldn’t use the word ‘running’ in this context.
How about you, Revis? All good?
Regularity is a rarity now.
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Love the animation! You don’t suck. End of sentence.
Yay!
Oh my holy crap! I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this post and can relate to it!!!! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT….LOVE IT! I know I have so much more to say in this comment, but I can tell I’m thinking too much and worried…what if it sucks!
Brilliant post MissFourEyes. I definitely doesn’t suck 🙂
THANK YOU! So glad you enjoyed it. You and I are so alike on the thinking too much part. *hyper scrutinized high five*
And don’t worry, your comments do NOT suck! So just let it all out 🙂
I meant to say “it” definitely doesn’t suck…not “I” doesn’t suck…oops. ACK! That sucked!
Don’t worry about it, I didn’t even notice 😉
I definitely love your doodles! So fun and original, like it’s so… YOU 😀
In fact I love to blog because blogging is supposed to be fun and a sharing activity where any kind of posts can be published. It’s all about personal opinion, and no need to be perfect to be appreciated here! Just stay yourself 🙂
Thank you so much, Daphnee! 😀
You make an excellent point. There’s really no need for perfection here, we just need to be ourselves! I’m going to remember that. Perfection is overrated (and induces far too many headaches).
A lot of famous artists become that way after they die… wait, where was I going with this? What was I going to say. Please don’t die. Also, I like your doodles.
I’m a little scared of where you’re going with that.
But, thanks Soul 🙂
Don’t worry, we have the internet now; even Rebecca Black can be famous. Everything is OK… and no, I wasn’t trying to compare you to Miss Black.
Gotta love the internet! But I have to say, I’m a little scared of becoming a teen sensation. What? It’s a completely justified fear.
People still think you dress like a hipster… which is not going to help…
Oh no.
Aren’t teens over that yet? Isn’t it uncool yet?
A sixteen year old girl told me something was legit with a strait face the other day… which leads me to believe that perhaps nothing is ever really “over.”
I’m scared. What if Rebecca Black is famous….forever?!
Well thankfully today is Monday… so we get a few days off from worrying about that.
Phew!
Rest easy four-eyed-goddess-of-the-internet, we can now go back to remembering the dead… and thankfully that one did not die serving in anyone’s military.
Yeah it sucks until you look and you have 84 LIKES no wait…. 85!!!
😉
Yup, then everything stops sucking. I love the people of WordPress! 🙂
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The best post I’ve read and still makes me laugh. A present for you:
http://theseeker57.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/thank-you-julianne-victoria/
PS. The publish button has gone awry, you might want to check that out
For me? Yay! Coming right over to see it!
P.S. Thanks for telling me, I’ll fix it
If it wasn’t for the Hook, I would’ve never ‘met’ you, so thanks be to Hook… Love this one – so true and realistic for the group that always wonders all those things – especially – What if it Sucks? … keep on keeping on …
The Hook is the best! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Absolutely! 🙂
You will most likely become a famous doodle-artis one day!
I love your doodles..
The publish button should have a “do you want to post this?” “are you sure?” and “panic button!” a big red one (That I would constantly push, since its big, red and says panic button!)..
I guess I have the same problem, but I´m trying to get into the “I do not care what others think”-zone.
Thanks Maggie! I wait for the day that I can doodle for a living 😀
I’d wear out the panic button for sure! Tell me the secret to getting in the “I do not care what others think”-zone. I’m trying to get there too.
I think you just have to think “Do I like this?” If the answer is Yes, you should just go for it.
Start with the small things.
It’s a longway to go 🙂 But we will get there 🙂
Yes we will! 😉
I sometimes suffer from the same syndrome..what I’ve started doing is asking myself what will I regret NOT doing more…option A or option B? usually that works.
I like that idea. I’m going to try that 🙂
Yep. Yep and yep. And… recently I published about three of my ‘what if it sucks’ posts in one post and warned people that they were the failures. Curiously the post went down really well. And I’ve had posts I’ve thought “what the heck? I can’t publish this!” about and published them and people have loved them. And I’ve been blogging for nearly a decade now (here and there) so, yeah. Yep. You feel the fear and you don’t do it. And then you do.
Wow, a decade! That’s pretty great. I guess the fear just never goes away, huh? All we can do is close our eyes and just press the publish button anyway.
Reblogged this on May Cause Irritation and commented:
This is epic and pretty much sums up the 10 seconds before every post you see on my blog. Hats (or specs!) off to you Miss Four Eyes!
Reblogged this on My Mind's Not Right! / Teetering on the Brink of an All-Out Breakthrough and commented:
Bravo! That wasn’t so bad now, was it? And you totally rocked that post!
What’s next? I can’t wait! :o)
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I get this all the time!!!
Me too! I hope it gets better 🙂