Expression: 'feeling of inadequacy'

[Tamara]

Hi

Entering the school again after so many years, David felt all the old feeling of inadequacy rising up inside him.

Could you, please, characterise the David’s feeling, briefly, with/by 2-3 other words?
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Alan]

Morning Tamara,
'
In a nutshell I would say: 'a sense of inferiority'

A
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Tamara]

Morning Alan,

Thanks, that's clear enough. :)
(Anyway, not being a professional psychologist, I'm unable - I feel it - to distinguish clearly in such a context
'feeling' from 'sense' and 'sense of inferiority' from 'inferiority complex').
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Tamara]

ps
Just note that the word inadequacy sounds a bit tricky for me, despite it's dictionary definition.
Something close to 'not adequate' (not relevant to the situation), not always due to 'inferiority', but possibly... quite the contrary. :)

But that's my problem, of course.
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Alan]

'Inadequacy suggests' you are not 'up to it' not capable of carrying out a particular task.
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Tamara]