Let people say whatever they like, stick to your own convictions, and rest assured, the world will be at your feet.
Did Vivekananda say "Believe in yourself and the world..."?
Paraphrase
Partly. The shared line is a reworded version of what he said in Epistles, Second Series, XLVII (Complete Works, vol 6). It is from one of his letters. He said or wrote it in Bengali; the Complete Works prints an English translation. A short form of a line in one of his Bengali letters (vol 6, in translation), which goes on: "Have faith in yourself first."
The version people share
“Believe in yourself and the world will be at your feet.”
Seen on: WhatsApp forwards, Instagram.
What he said
Tap the source to read the whole paragraph.
More in his words
Keep one line with you
A week of Gita lines for what you are facing, in your inbox.
Send my weekQuestions people ask
Is "Believe in yourself and the world..." in the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda?
Partly. The shared line is a reworded version of what he said in Epistles, Second Series, XLVII (Complete Works, vol 6). It is from one of his letters.
How do you check a Vivekananda quote?
Search a distinctive phrase in the Complete Works (Advaita Ashrama, nine volumes; the text is on ramakrishnavivekananda.info and Wikisource). If only quote sites carry it, with no volume or lecture named, treat it as unverified.
Sources and method
Matched against The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Mayavati Memorial Edition, vols 1 to 8 (9,239 paragraphs, Bengali translations checked separately), with Python difflib. In his words: 90 or more out of 100. Paraphrase: 70 to 90. Not in his works: under 70, and no hit in a phrase search of Wikisource across all volumes, including vol 9. This line scored 79.