Imposter Syndrome: It Puts You There Where Things Are Hollow
What do an Academy Award-winning actor, an iconic musician, a Nobel laureate, and a Supreme Court justice have in common? Each of them has struggled with imposter syndrome. That can’t be true. Can it? In an interview with NPR, Tom Hanks said that despite his multiple accolades and successful career, he still doubts his abilities. “Sometimes I don’t feel as if I’m a person at all. I’m just a collection of other people’s ideas,” opined David Bowie, who was quite open about his feelings of inadequacy. Former Nobel and US Poet Laureate Maya Angelou was afraid that, at any moment, she would be exposed as a fraud. Shortly after being appointed to the Supreme Court by President Obama, Sonia Sotomayor said that she is not fully confident in herself and constantly wonders if she measures up to her peers.
These people are at the top of their game—experts in their field—how could they feel like they were afflicted by imposter syndrome? Imposter syndrome is a universal phenomenon that affects people of all statuses, education levels, and talents. Although imposter syndrome isn’t an official diagnosis listed in the DSM, psychologists and others acknowledge that it is a genuine and specific form of intellectual self-doubt. Imposter feelings are generally accompanied by anxiety and, often, depression. It happens when we attribute our accomplishments to luck rather than ability, and we fear that we will eventually be unmasked. It is ubiquitous, affecting more than 80% of the population.
Psychologists and social scientists contextualize imposter syndrome in the following ways:
Clinical-Psychological—the phenomenon is the result of a negative and critical self-concept.
Social-Psychological—people’s social context is highly influential in determining how they feel about themselves.
Societal—someone’s position in the social hierarchy shapes imposter feelings.
Institutional—corporations, educational institutions, and government institutions precipitate the phenomenon.
Interpersonal—how powerful and self-relevant others treat you influences and portend imposter syndrome.
Overcoming imposter syndrome starts with recognizing your potential and owning your achievement. But how to begin?
Turn and face the strange
Recognize that just because you believe these things about you, they are not necessarily true.
We can be heroes just for one day
Strive for excellence when it matters most, but don’t persevere over routine tasks and forgive yourself when the inevitable mistake happens.
What you need, you have to borrow
Think about people with skills you admire and consider their journey to get to where they are now. Realize that you are always learning and experiencing new and different things. You aren’t stagnant—you’re a work in progress.
How could they know?
Recognize that smart, high-achieving people most often deal with imposter syndrome. True imposters don’t have these feelings of inadequacy. They are experts at faking it, with no concern for making it!
Gee, my life’s a funny thing
Resist the lure of external validation as the measure by which you gauge your self-worth and draw healthy boundaries between your work and private time.
Time may change me, but I can’t change time
Freeing yourself from imposter syndrome is not a quick and easy task. Approach it with self-care and patience.
Imposter syndrome is not going anywhere. It is a nearly universal human experience. If famous entrepreneurs, scholars, athletes, and actors are afflicted by it. It’s the terror of knowing what this world is about, combined with our natural self-doubts and criticisms. If the disconnect between who you are and how others perceive you becomes too much, it may be beneficial to seek out a coach to help. After all, if a serial innovator like David Bowie felt out of his depth in the creative process, none of us are immune.