Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome, also known as imposter phenomena, impostorism, or fraud syndrome has been becoming a common term. It involves feelings that one is a fraud, not actually qualified, or does not actually have the skills needed to do what is required. People who are very accomplished may feel that awards received are not deserved. It is most often applied to jobs and employment, but well-known authors and celebrities often report that they get more accolades than they merit. Psychologist, Kevin Cokely, was a recent guest on the Hidden Brain Podcast and discussed his findings on impostorism. He is a researcher and professor who Ironically suffers from this form of self-doubt and negative self-assessment that is his area of study. In the podcast, he identifies many highly successful people who are also sufferers of impostorism including Michele Obama, Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, and John Steinbeck. The fear of exposure and self-doubt persists in spite of having won many awards and honors. People with imposter syndrome have a deeply held fear that they are not as competent as others believe that they are.
Quick Facts:
Imposter syndrome is not a diagnosis and is not in the DSM (Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
The term was first used in1978 in an article entitled."The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention" by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes.
Imposter syndrome was originally applied to women but it occurs in both men and women.
Praise from others and accolades can often increase rather than decrease self-doubt and feelings of being an imposter.
Many famous and successful people have come out as having imposter syndrome including Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, Michele Obama, and John Steinbeck.
So why do people feel like frauds in the face of evidence of success? People who feel like imposters often attribute their accomplishments to luck or other external events such as good timing. They may also rationalize that they made a huge effort, that is impossible to maintain, to accomplish something, and that they do not really have what it takes. Ironically, more accolades and attention to success can increase feelings of imposter syndrome, especially when receiving an award or being promoted. A failure, even after a string of successes, can ignite imposter syndrome as well. A single failure seems to negate previous successes and the person will negatively assess their aptitude and worth seeing the episode of failure as proof.
People with imposter syndrome are similar to perfectionists in that they put a great deal of pressure on themselves to have success and avoid errors. They fear that making a mistake will expose them and take a single mistake as evidence that they are not good enough for the job or worthy of success.
In a podcast by Brenee Brown on October 11, 2021, she interviews Jodi-Ann Burey and Ruchika Tulshyan, the authors of an article in Harvard Business Review called “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome”. Brenee points out that talking about a phenomenon such as Imposterism out of context leads to pathologizing the phenomenon. Feelings of being an imposter or self-doubt may involve more than an individual's reaction to the work environment. The root of the issue may exist in the environment, especially when the environment is not welcoming (or nominally welcoming) of people of a certain gender, gender expression, race, or other difference. This adds complexity to the idea of imposter syndrome. The feelings of self-doubt and insecurity may actually have a base reality. The environment provides subtle feedback that a person does not fit or the message that if they were to express their authentic self, rejection would follow. In the original study of imposter syndrome by Clance and Imes, when the term imposter syndrome was first used, the study was of women in high places where the culture was predominantly white and male. It could be that there were factors other than the insecurity of the women that lead to feelings of not belonging. She also points out that many workshops offered to women promote (rather than to the general population) subtly promote the idea that this is a women’s issue and if women would fix themselves they would be able to fit in better in environments they find difficult.
Overcoming imposter syndrome involves learning to self-assess realistically. It is also important to check on are factors in the environment that may be triggering self-doubt. If work culture is subtly unwelcoming then it may not actually be imposter syndrome but a normal reaction to a difficult environment. Reminding someone that they earned their place and acknowledging that effort over time is what caused success is more helpful than pointing to awards and achievements. It is helpful to avoid comparisons to others and focus on personal growth and improvement.
Link to Hidden Brain Podcast on Self Doubt Interview with Psychologist Kevin Cokely
https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-psychology-of-self-doubt/
Michele Obama describes her battles with impostor syndrome
Imposter Syndrome - Brené Brow
https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome