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Self-doubt was my ‘secret superpower', Sturgeon says

Self-doubt was my ‘secret superpower', Sturgeon says

Excerpts from the former first minister of Scotland's new memoir, Frankly, were published by The Times this week, ahead of the book's release on Thursday.
The pieces discuss some of the hardest moments of her life and career, as well as conflicted feelings over motherhood and sexuality.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Ms Sturgeon described herself as a 'public introvert', telling the paper: 'I am somebody who can come alive on a stage in front of thousands of people, but put me at a dinner table with four people and I will struggle much, much more.'
When asked about the theme of self-doubt running throughout her memoir, she said: 'I spent the earlier part of my life thinking it was a great handicap. I actually came to think it was my secret superpower.
'It definitely drives you on. You work harder. So I wouldn't change it. I don't know that I'd have got as far in politics without it, actually.'
The interview also touched on the importance of emotional intelligence for politicians, with Ms Sturgeon telling the paper: 'I think politics sucks it out of people. I also think people with very low emotional intelligence are probably disproportionately attracted to the status.
'I guess it kind of sits with narcissism. I've come across them all my life in politics, people who exude this kind of superiority complex.'
Elsewhere, Ms Sturgeon said she was excited about the next chapter in her life.
'I feel happier than I've possibly ever felt,' she told The Sunday Times.
'A future where I can go anywhere, live anywhere I want, form new relationships. I can meet new people, I can do new things, I can find out what it is I want to do with the rest of my life.'
In a fresh excerpt from her memoir, Ms Sturgeon claimed Alex Salmond, her predecessor as first minister, may have leaked details about an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
And in an extract published on Friday, Ms Sturgeon discussed her arrest in 2023, describing it as 'mental torture'.
Ms Sturgeon served as Scottish first minister between 2014 and 2023.
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