I’m sometimes surprised when people reveal to me that they have felt like an imposter. On the outside, these self-described “imposters” are usually highly accomplished people, with impressive careers and plenty of educational achievements. If they didn’t tell you, you’d never guess that they wonder whether they’ve been fooling everyone all along.
Here’s my Imposter Syndrome story
I went to Harvard for graduate school. A Colorado girl, who grew up in a middle class family and went to public schools and state college all the way, I didn’t really fit my own mental image of a Harvard student. I had worked hard to get there, but a little voice in my head questioned whether I really belonged. “Maybe they read through my application too quickly and made a mistake by letting me in,” my mind would tell me during moments of self-doubt. Everyone around me seemed confident that they belonged there, but inside I wasn’t so sure if I did.
One day, I saw signs hanging up around William James Hall for a talk on Imposter Syndrome. “What’s that?” I wondered. I had never heard of imposter syndrome before, but the term resonated with what I was experiencing. On the day of the talk, I sat down in a large lecture hall and looked around. The room was so packed that people who came late couldn’t get in the door. HUNDREDS of Harvard students, the same ones who seemed so confident to me, were there because they too wondered if they truly belonged at Harvard.
It was in that moment that I realized that I wasn’t actually the lone person who snuck through the Harvard admissions process and got in on a fluke. Rather, I was experiencing a common internal phenomenon among high-achieving people. This realization shifted my perspective.
Do I still occasionally have moments of Imposter Syndrome? Sure I do! But now I see those thoughts for what they are, and I don’t let them keep me from doing the things I care about.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter Syndrome, or Imposter Phenomenon, was described by two psychologists, Suzanne Imes, and Pauline Clance in this paper in 1978. It’s an extreme form of self-doubt where a person doesn't believe in his or her own success or accomplishments, leading to a feeling of inadequacy and/or fear of being exposed as a fraud.
There are many pathways to developing Imposter Syndrome, and no one is immune. But women and people of color, who have been implicitly, and perhaps even explicitly, told they don’t belong in high-achieving positions, may especially prone. As Jolie A. Doggett writes, “For people of color, imposter syndrome isn’t just an imaginary voice in our heads. We receive almost daily messages from society that we don’t truly belong.”
Tips for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
See it for what it is. Awareness is the first step. Instead of assuming that it’s a fact and you truly are an imposter, be aware that this is merely an unhelpful thought that your mind is generating. (Human minds like to do that!) You don’t have to let your imposter thoughts define you.
Consider the upsides of self-doubt. Who would you rather hang out with? A) Someone who was totally confident in her abilities at all times, or B) Someone who occasionally doubted herself. I’d choose Person B every day of the week. Humility can be a wonderful quality (and I can think of a few public figures who could use a bit more of it). Imposter syndrome is an extreme version of humility, but perhaps a healthy dose of self-doubt is better than feeling overly confident in one’s competence.
Remember, you are not alone! As I learned in that crowded Harvard lecture hall, more people experience Imposter Syndrome than you may realize. Look around you, and keep in mind that many of the people you see, who might appear so outwardly confident, have had this experience too.
Open up and get support. First, find your people - the ones you can relate to, who are supportive rather than critical of you. When you find them, share your experience openly. Opening up about your self-doubt can help you see it from a new perspective and get support. And you might be surprised to find that “your people” have had a similar experience themselves.
Keep doing the meaningful, important things. Be guided by your values, and do what matters to you, even when the voice of the imposter shows up. In fact, when self-doubt shows up, that’s usually an indicator that we care about something. As Dumbledore says in Harry Potter, “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." So who cares if you’re fooling everyone into thinking you’re competent or not? Just keep on choosing to do what matters to you.
Learn More About the Imposter Phenomenon
Listen to my conversation with my friend and co-host, the mighty Dr. Jill Stoddard, on Imposter Syndrome on my podcast: https://offtheclockpsych.com/imposter-syndrome/
Jill has a quiz to help you find out which type of imposter you are! https://jillstoddard.com/imposter-synrdome-quiz And for more about the IS subtypes, read this: https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-different-types-of-imposter-syndrome-and-5-ways-to-battle-each-one
An article by Jill about why it might not actually be a “syndrome” (hint: if it’s so common, is it really a syndrome?)
Dr. Bessima Tewfik - An MIT professor who researches Imposter Syndrome
TED Talk by Valerie Young, Imposter Syndrome expert
Recent Harvard Business Review article “Stop telling women they have Imposter Syndrome” https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndromehttps://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome