Imposter syndrome is all too familiar, but what is it, how does it happen and what can we do about it?
If you are short on time, here are the main things I want you to know about imposter syndrome:
- You are not alone if you feel it. It’s incredibly common and particularly impacts highly intelligent, capable people
- It’s doesn’t get easier as you get older, more experienced, or promoted into more senior positions
- People in traditionally marginalised communities are at increased risk of experiencing it
- It’s doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you
- You are not an imposter
For a more detailed explanation, I’ll start with some definitions.
Imposter – a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.
Syndrome – a group of symptoms which consistently occur together, or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms that don’t always have a clear underlying cause.
What is imposter syndrome?
The definition of imposter syndrome is: an internal experience of intellectual phoniness (Clance and Imes, 1978). It was later updated to: a psychological occurrence in which people doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments and have a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as frauds (Langford, Clance and Rose, 1993).
The term ‘imposter syndrome’ has been around since the 1970s. In the past, much of the research and resulting articles have focused on it as an individual affliction. It was commonly believed that the person experiencing it somehow created the problem themselves. In more recent years, this notion has been critically reviewed. Believing it is self-created makes it easy to place the burden entirely on the individual to self-heal. This is why there is a movement to shift the narrative away from it being self-inflicted to a focus on the external factors that actually create the sense of being an imposter.
The distinction matters because of the characteristics of imposter syndrome. Being overly self-critical, underestimating capability and assuming anything achieved is due to luck are characteristics of the state of imposter syndrome. So, thinking that it is a problem of one’s own making is a very easy trap in which to fall. And if we believe that imposter syndrome is something that is created BY individuals instead of something that has happened TO them, then it creates an array of potential remedies that are focused on ‘fixing’ a person and ignoring the external variables that caused or contributed to the challenge.
How does it happen to us?
In truth, imposter syndrome is not something that just happens in our own mind. It is much more common for it to be a reaction to something that has happened to us – the external variables – which can come from three main areas, and all contribute to the risk of someone experiencing imposter phenomenon:
- Our interpersonal relationships – negative behaviour from someone who is influential in our lives can be seen as ‘they don’t think I’m capable’. Relationships with peers, mentors, and supervisors can influence imposter feelings and a lack of supportive relationships or experiences of comparison with others can heighten feelings of inadequacy.
- How we are seen by society – stereotype bias can lead to people in traditionally marginalised communities to be hindered, e.g. the perception that women don’t make good leaders. Since we are all exposed to stereotypes about aspects of our own identity, we are all at risk of experiencing stereotype bias. Some of us are far more at risk than others because of our identity. Stereotypes can make us feel like we need to prove ourselves, and this can contribute to a sense of feeling like an imposter.
- Institutional factors – under-representation, gender and ethnicity pay gaps can create an impression that ‘there is no place for me here’. And competitive or ‘eat what you kill’ work environments can exacerbate feelings of being an imposter, especially if individuals perceive their colleagues as more capable or accomplished.
The thing about these variables is that the trigger doesn’t have to be in our current environment, or even something recent. It may have happened a long time ago. Most of us were conditioned to think that our intelligence is only determined by standardised test scores in school. Maybe someone we saw as a role model aimed incongruent behaviour at us. Perhaps we were led to believe that resilience means that we should just tolerate bad behaviour from others (which is not at all what resilience means).
We can’t always pinpoint the behaviour that led to the feelings of being an imposter. If it isn’t something that just started happening, identifying a root cause can be a fruitless, time-consuming process. At the end of the day, imposter syndrome is driven by fear and anxiety that we feel in the here and now, and we can acknowledge that it may have been created historically while focusing our efforts to overcome its present impact.
An imposter is a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.
What can we do about it?
There’s no quick fix for imposter syndrome, but that doesn’t mean we have to be a prisoner to it, either. We do have agency over the perception we have of ourselves. Below is an incomplete list of suggestions to push back against imposter syndrome. One caveat here is that I’m not a clinician and would always support talking therapy for anything relating to fear and anxiety.
- Personify your imposter. This might sound weird (and if so, I’m fine with that), but I turned my imposter syndrome into a ‘being’ that lived in my head. That allowed me to recognise that frankly, it’s a jerk and one that I don’t have to listen to, ever. It’s not my friend and I don’t hang out with real people who would diminish me, so I’m certainly not going to let the negative voice in my head win out.
- Recognise that it simply isn’t true that you are an imposter or a fraud. Look again at the definition of imposter: a person who pretends to be someone else to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain. Is that what you are? If you are reading this, then let’s just agree that the answer to that question is no. You aren’t a fraud, you aren’t ‘pretending’ to be smart, and it wasn’t just ‘luck’ that got you where you are today. You have accumulated experience and skills over many years. You deserve to celebrate your achievements and the positive attributes that you have.
- Ask a trusted friend or colleague to describe the characteristics in you that they value. This is not a ‘blowing smoke’ exercise. Our friends and colleagues can see things about us that we often don’t recognise, or actively refuse to acknowledge. When they tell you what they think, believe them.
- Recognise that imposter syndrome, while not self-generated, is a form of self-sabotage. It may have been driven by external factors, but believing that it’s true about ourselves is arguably more damaging in the present than whatever the trigger was in the past. When we are in a constant state of stress or anxiety, these mental responses can turn into physical ones. Imposter syndrome is a threat to our wellbeing.
- If fear and anxiety are the most common feelings, identify what is causing those feelings now. Again, imposter syndrome may be due to something in the past but that doesn’t mean that fear and anxiety aren’t being driven by behaviour from others presently. If you are experiencing non-inclusive behaviours currently, then that will exacerbate pre-existing imposter syndrome.
- Celebrate your successes. A profound line from Pretty Woman is ‘The bad stuff is easier to believe.’ This is like a mantra of the little devil that is imposter syndrome. It doesn’t want you to celebrate yourself at all. And it will convince you that doing so is boastful and egotistical. Tell it to shut up and acknowledge the good stuff that you do.
- Give yourself a break – have some compassion for yourself. Stop trying to be a perfectionist. Stop overemphasising your mistakes and failures, and underemphasising wins and successes. Don’t worry about getting rid of imposter syndrome immediately, or even entirely. Focus on reducing it to an occasional whisper rather than a constant shout. To paraphrase Stuart Smalley: You’re good enough. You’re smart enough. And doggone it, people like you.
