Imposter Syndrome

Well, you’ve made it. You’ve got your dream job, supportive friends and family, and a beautiful home. You even have the leather briefcase, showcasing to everyone that you are the epitome of success. So if that’s the case, then why do you feel so worthless? The answer lies not in some personal fault of your own, but rather in a pesky little thing called impostor syndrome.

Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes discovered this syndrome in 1978. Imposter Syndrome is the feeling that your accomplishments are due to luck, rather than your intelligence and hard work. People who deal with impostor syndrome often feel like they have tricked everyone into believing that they are smarter or more successful than they actually are. Psychologists don’t know exactly what causes these feelings, but there are usually a variety of reasons. One reason that Clance and Imes cited was family issues. Some of the women that they tested were constantly compared to another “smarter” sibling in their family. This lead to an intense desire to disprove these ideas. By constantly achieving, they showed that they were just as good as their sibling. However, any failure resulted in them doubting themselves again, and beginning to think that their family was right all along.

Another cause of the impostor syndrome was the “prodigy” example. Some clients were told as a child that they were extremely “gifted”, putting high expectations on their performance. However, once they reached a certain age and realized that they did not excel in everything, they started to undermine their intellectual abilities. One of the women Clance and Imes tested said that “when she was studying, she would pretend to be playing with her art material when her mother walked into the room” because according to her mother, naturally smart people didn’t have to study.

There are still other causes for “impostor syndrome”. Some people feel like an impostor when they are unable to complete things on their own, while others feel as though they must be absolutely perfect at all times lest they be considered a failure. When Clance and Imes initially conducted the test, they claimed that impostor syndrome was exclusive to women. While women and other minorities are disproportionately affected by impostor syndrome, a later study by Clance corrected that anyone can be affected by impostor syndrome.

Feeling like an impostor is an isolating experience. But one thing to remember is that everyone from Maya Angelou to Michael Jordan has experienced these feelings. With time and positive affirmation, it is possible to overcome them. The world can feel like a harsh and scary place, filled with people that seem smarter, stronger, and more talented than you. However, devaluing yourself puts a damper on your dreams and ambitions. Imagine how different the world would be if Beethoven hadn’t composed Fur Elise or if Shakespeare had never written Macbeth. So, the next time you feel like you’re a fraud — just tell yourself “I could be the next Shakespeare”.