Doubt Illustrations Ivan

 

1) Definition: Doubt vs Belief (state of mind vs emotion)

Where in text: Opening line: “Definition compare it to belief…” / “you can't discuss one without the other”
Illustration: A two-panel scale (like an old doctor’s balance scale). On one side: BELIEF drawn as a steady lantern (light = clarity, direction). On the other: DOUBT drawn as a fog machine (same space, less visibility). The scale isn’t about good vs bad—it’s about conditions.
Smart detail: Small text on the base: “Same brain. Different weather.”

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2) Society: The two-button “panic choice” meme (red button)

Where in text: “We scroll through the two-button meme…”
Illustration: A person sweating over two big red buttons labeled:

• TRUST NOTHING

• BELIEVE EVERYTHING
  Above them, a third tiny toggle switch, barely visible: “VERIFY / BREATHE / PROCEED.”
  Why it lands: It keeps it funny but nails your point—doubt becomes corrosive when it becomes default.

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3) Modern uncertainty: the “cone of uncertainty” + insomnia

Where in text: “Modern polling… margin of error… Hurricanes… cone of uncertainty… can’t turn our brains off…”
Illustration: A bed at night. Above it, instead of thought bubbles: a hurricane forecast cone hovering like a ghostly lampshade over the sleeper. Inside the cone are little icons: poll %, weather %, “what if?”
Caption idea: “Forecast: 80% chance of thinking.”

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4) Tennis: Wallace’s branching “variable tree” overload

The Beautiful Mind meme works here too 

Where in text: The DFW passage / the “tree of variables” theme
Illustration: A tennis player about to hit a forehand while an absurdly elegant decision-tree diagram grows out of the ball: spin → angle → depth → opponent position → wind → strings → mood → childhood trauma (last one lightly implied, not literal if you prefer).
Key visual punch: At the base of the tree, a tiny sign: “Best option: hit the ball.”
Why it works: Captures the comedy of complexity without mocking the sport.

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5) Doubt shows up in the body: tightening, conservative play

Where in text: “Doubt shows up first in the body…” / “playing not to lose…”
Illustration: Split silhouette of a player:

• Left side: tight grip, shoulders up, chest locked; racquet strings drawn like a cage.

• Right side: same player, looser hands, open chest; strings normal.
  Underneath, two small shot arcs:

• “Doubt ball” landing short.

• “Commit ball” traveling deep.
  Tone: Visual, physiological, practical—very FBTL.

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6) Personal: “Doubt gets a voice, not a vote”

Where in text: Near the end: “Doubt gets a voice, not a vote.”
Illustration: A simple conference table in someone’s head. “Doubt” is a small figure with a nameplate DOUBT and a microphone—talking. But the person at the head of the table has a stamped sheet: DECISION.
Clever detail: A second nameplate: PREPARATION sitting calmly beside “Decision.”
Why it works: It’s your entire thesis in one smart, memorable image.

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If you want, I can also give each one a one-sentence art direction note (line weight, composition, what to exaggerate vs keep minimal) so your illustrator can execute fast and consistently across the book.

 

 

1) Doubt vs Belief (lantern vs fog machine scale)

Art direction: Draw a simple vintage balance scale in thin black line with a calm, minimal lantern labeled “BELIEF” on one plate and a compact fog machine labeled “DOUBT” on the other—fog drifting but not chaotic; add tiny base text: “Same brain. Different weather.”

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2) Two-button red meme (Trust nothing / Believe everything)

Art direction: Classic meme framing: one figure, slight sweat bead, hands hovering over two bold red buttons—TRUST NOTHING and BELIEVE EVERYTHING—with a small third toggle switch off to the side labeled “VERIFY / BREATHE / PROCEED” (the “wise” option is visually quieter, not flashy).

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3) Cone of uncertainty insomnia (hurricane forecast over bed)

Art direction: Minimal bedroom line drawing with the person in bed staring upward; above them floats a translucent forecast cone like a lampshade containing small icons (%, poll, what if)—keep it elegant, not spooky; tiny caption optional: “Forecast: 80% chance of thinking.”

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4) DFW variable-tree overload (decision tree growing from the ball)

Art direction: A player mid-prep with the incoming ball sprouting a branching, neat flowchart/tree diagram (spin/angle/depth/wind/etc.) that threatens to eclipse the frame, while a tiny sign near the racquet reads: “Best option: hit the ball.”

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5) Doubt in the body (tight vs loose split silhouette)

Art direction: Split the same player silhouette down the middle: left side tight shoulders/grip with racquet strings drawn like a subtle cage, right side relaxed posture with normal strings; beneath, two simple ball trajectories labeled “Doubt Ball” (short) and “Commit Ball” (deep), no extra clutter.

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6) “Doubt gets a voice, not a vote” (boardroom in the head)

Art direction: Clean boardroom table scene: a small character labeled DOUBT speaks into a microphone, but the person at the head holds a stamped paper reading DECISION; include two calm nameplates nearby—PREPARATION and PROCESS—to reinforce your solution without preaching.

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Quick consistency note (optional to send your illustrator)

Style system: monochrome line, generous white space, 1–2 bold labels per image, one “quiet smart detail” (tiny sign/caption) that rewards a second look—no cartoons, no big goofy faces, just wry clarity.