THE IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
Impostor syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist even in face of information that indicates that the opposite is true. It is experienced internally as chronic self-doubt, and feelings of intellectual fraudulence. It is basically feeling that you are not really a successful, competent, and smart, that you are only imposing as such. Some common feelings and thoughts that might characterize the impostor syndrome are: “I feel like a fake” “My fellow employees, teachers, clients etc. are going to find out I don’t really belong here,”
Liz Bingham, managing partner Ernst & Young , once thought to herself: “What are you doing here? What do you think you’re doing? You’re going to be found out.” Academy Award winning actress Kate Winslet confided: “I’d wake up in the morning before going off to a shoot, and think, I can’t do this; I’m a fraud.” Fellow actor Don Cheadle shared a similar sentiment: “All I can see is everything I’m doing wrong that is a sham and a fraud.”
Needless to say, the list of people who sometimes worry about being uncovered as an impostor is as impressive as it is long. Having to live with a nagging fear of being “found out” as not being as smart or talented or deserving or experienced or (fill-in-the-blank) as people think is a common phenomenon. So common, in fact, that the term “Impostor Syndrome” was coined to describe it back in the 1980’s. Indeed, researchers believe that up to 70% of people have suffered from it at some point.
According to Joan Harvey, the impostor phenomenon (IP) is a “psychological syndrome or pattern. It is based on intense, secret feelings of fraudulence in the face of success and achievement. If you suffer from the impostor phenomenon, you believe that you don’t deserve your success; you’re a phony who has somehow ‘gotten away with it.’” (Harvey, 1984, p. 3). “Syndrome” may be too strong a term, but many of us experience these feelings with varying strengths and frequencies. Though the impostor phenomenon isn’t an official diagnosis listed in the DSM, psychologists and others acknowledge that it is a very real and specific form of intellectual self-doubt. Impostor feelings are generally accompanied by anxiety and, often, depression. By definition, most people with impostor feelings suffer in silence, according to Suzanne Imes, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Georgia. “Most people don’t talk about it. Part of the experience is that they’re afraid they’re going to be found out,” she says.
But what matters most is not whether we occasionally (or regularly) fear failing, looking foolish or not being ‘whatever enough’; it’s whether we give those fears the power to keep us from taking the actions needed to achieve our goals and highest aspirations.
Feelings associated with the IP:
- Feelings of phoniness and self-doubt (“I am not as smart as they think.”)
- Fear of being “found out” (“It’s only a matter of time before people realize I don’t belong here.”)
- Difficulty taking credit for one’s accomplishments (“I don’t deserve to win this award.”)
- Frustration with inability to meet self-set standards (“I’ll never be as good as I want to be, so why bother trying?”)
- Lack of confidence, fear of making mistakes (“I don’t think I have what it takes to be a scholar.”)
The impostor feelings can be divided into three sub categories:
- Feeling like a fake: the belief that one does not deserve his or her success or professional position and that somehow others have been deceived into thinking otherwise. This goes together with a fear of being, “found out”, discovered or “unmasked”. People who feel this way would identify with statements such as: “I can give the impression that I am more competent than I really am.” “I am often afraid that others will discover how much knowledge I really lack”.
- Attributing success to luck: Another aspect of the impostor syndrome is the tendency to attribute success to luck or to other external reasons and not to your own internal abilities. Someone with such feeling would refer to an achievement by saying, “I just got lucky this time” “it was a fluke” and with fear that they will not be able to succeed the next time.
- Discounting Success: The third aspect is a tendency to downplay success and discount it. One with such feelings would discount an achievement by saying, “it is not a big deal,” “it was not important.” One example of this is discounting the fact that they made it here, which is really a big success. Or saying, “I did well because it is an easy class, etc.” Or, you might have a hard time accepting compliments.
This is not an all or nothing syndrome. Most of you probably could identify with a few statements but not with others. Some people may identify with impostor feelings in some situations and not in others, or maybe you may not identify with these feelings but have friends who do.
Who is likely to have the impostor syndrome?
The impostor syndrome is associated with highly achieving, highly successful people. This makes impostor feelings somewhat different from the concept of “low self-esteem” because there is a discrepancy between the actual achievement and the person’s feelings about the achievement that may not be present in low self-esteem. People in different professions such as teachers, people in the social sciences, people in academia, actresses and actors, may all have impostor feelings. It was originally associated with women but recent research indicated that men suffer in similar numbers.
Attitudes, beliefs, direct or indirect messages that we received from our parents or from other significant people in our lives early on may have contributed to the development of impostor feelings. Certain family situations and dynamics tend to contribute to impostor feelings: when the success and career aspirations conflicts with the family expectations of the gender, race, religion, or age of the person, families who impose unrealistic standards, families who are very critical, and families who are ridden with conflict and anger.
Researchers identify two main types of family dynamics that can contribute to impostor feelings, although there may be others.
Family Labels: Different children in a family may be identified or labeled differently. For example, some families have one “intelligent” child and one “sensitive” child. While growing up, many times families will not change their perception of each child, no matter what that child does. Therefore, the sensitive child, even if she gets better grades or more awards may not be recognized for her intelligence. This can lead to doubting her intelligence and believing the family is correct even with evidence, which contradicts these labels.
Family messages of superiority: Other families can give their child full support to the point where the family and child believe that they are superior or perfect. As the child grows up and encounters challenging tasks, they may begin to doubt their parent’s perceptions and may also need to hide their difficulties in order not to disturb the family image of them. As a result of these normal difficulties, this child may come to believe that they are only average and even below average.
Many people who feel like impostors grew up in families that placed a big emphasis on achievement, says Imes. In particular, parents who send mixed messages — alternating between over-praise and criticism — can increase the risk of future fraudulent feelings. Societal pressures only add to the problem.
When Clance and Imes first described the impostor phenomenon, they thought it was unique to women. Since then, a variety of research on the topic has revealed that men, too, can have the unenviable experience of feeling like frauds, according to a recent research review (International Journal of Behavioral Sciences (PDF, 230KB), 2011). “In our society there’s a huge pressure to achieve,” Imes says. “There can be a lot of confusion between approval and love and worthiness. Self-worth becomes contingent on achieving.”
Other factors can also boost the odds that you feel like a phony. The experience seems to be more common among minorities, according to Clance, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta. That’s not terribly surprising to Frederick Hives, a fourth-year PsyD candidate at John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, Calif. Hives has struggled with impostor feelings throughout grad school, and says he often feels like he’s progressed not on his own merits, but due to sympathy from others. As an African-American student, Hives says, “I was taught I would need to ‘work twice as hard to be half as good.’ While this instills a goal-oriented approach within me, it also keeps me feeling as though my efforts will never be enough.”
Still, differing in any way from the majority of your peers — whether by race, gender, sexual orientation or some other characteristic — can fuel the sense of being a fraud. As the youngest student in her program, Mary Guerrant, a second-year doctoral student of community psychology at North Carolina State University, dealt with strong impostor feelings during her first year of study. Her position as a gay woman interested in studying LGBT issues compounded those feelings, she believes. “My interests are so different from those of my colleagues, which at times can feel incredibly isolating and further fuels my feelings of inadequacy,” she says.
The impostor phenomenon seems to be more common among people who are embarking on a new endeavor, says Imes. In other words, graduate students may be particularly susceptible. “Grad students are at an in-between phase in their professional development,” says Carole Lieberman, MD, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist and author. “They are often asked to function in a capacity that they don’t feel ready to handle.”
Most people experience some self-doubt when facing new challenges, says Lieberman. “But someone with [imposter phenomenon] has an all-encompassing fear of being found out to not have what it takes.” Even if they experience outward signs of success — getting into a selective graduate program, say, or acing test after test — they have trouble believing that they’re worthy. Instead, they may chalk their success up to good luck.
The impostor phenomenon and perfectionism often go hand in hand. So-called impostors think every task they tackle has to be done perfectly, and they rarely ask for help. That perfectionism can lead to two typical responses, according to Clance. An impostor may procrastinate, putting off an assignment out of fear that he or she won’t be able to complete it to the necessary high standards. Or, he or she may over-prepare, spending much more time on a task than is necessary.
The connection between impostor feelings and success:
Impostor feelings relate to an inability to internalize past and current success. Being successful does not alter how you feel about yourself and does not alleviate feelings of inadequacy.
Fear of Success: Also, people with impostor feelings can have a tendency to over internalize failure. People who feel like impostors may fear success and the responsibility and visibility that come with it. Since being more successful will increase the tension between the inner feelings and the outside perceptions.
Pressure not to fail: There can be a huge amount of pressure currently not to fail to avoid being “found out.” This leads to not being able to enjoy/internalize success.
Behaviors and Beliefs that perpetuate impostor feelings:
Diligence: Gifted women often work hard in order to prevent people from discovering that she is an “impostor”. This hard work often leads to more praise and success, which perpetuates the impostor feelings and fears of being “found out.”
Feeling of being phony: A woman with impostor feelings often attempt to give supervisors and professors the answers that she believes they want, which often leads to an increase in feeling like she is “being a fake”
Use of charm: Connected to this, gifted women often use their intuitive perceptiveness and charm to gain approval and praise from supervisors and seek out relationships with supervisors in order to help her increase her abilities intellectually and creatively. However, when the supervisor gives her praise or recognition, she feels that this praise is based on her charm and not on ability.
Avoiding display of confidence: Another way that a woman can perpetuate her impostor feelings is to avoid showing any confidence in her abilities. A women dealing with impostor feelings may believe that if she actually believes in her intelligence and abilities she may be rejected by others. Therefore, she may convince herself that she is not intelligence or does not deserve success to avoid this.
But giving your best is not the same as being the best. Likewise, there’s a distinct difference between trying to better yourself and being better than everyone else. Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome requires self-acceptance: you don’t have to attain perfection or mastery to be worthy of the success you’ve achieved and any accolades you earn along the way. It’s not about lowering the bar, it’s about resetting it to a realistic level that doesn’t leave you forever striving and feeling inadequate. You don’t have to be Einstein to be a valuable asset to your organization and to those around you. Nor do you have to attain perfection to share something with the world that enriches people’s lives in some way. Those who often fear being “found out” have a tendency to attribute their success to external factors – like luck or a helping hand. Unsurprisingly, women tend to do this more often than men who are more likely to attribute their successes to a combination of internal factors, such as grit, talent, brains and sheer hard work.
Dealing with Impostor Feelings
If you have impostor feelings, this does not mean that you are stuck with them forever. There are steps that you can take to reduce those feelings and to cope with them when they do come up.
Support: being able to discuss those feelings with others in order to understand that you are not alone and to get a reality check.
Identify those feelings: be aware when you engage in thoughts and feelings of impostor. Awareness is the first step to change and it is not obvious since many times we are not aware of our automatic thoughts.
Automatic Thoughts: Automatic thoughts can be defined as underlying, unquestioned thoughts, which affect how you perceive an event or situation. These thoughts are often so automatic that they occur very fast and you may not even notice them…..but they are affecting your perception An example of an automatic thought related to impostor syndrome would be “I am not smart enough.” This underlying thought may lead to thinking such things as: “Everyone else is smarter than me” or “admissions made a mistake.”
Do your own reality check: Question these automatic impostor thoughts and feelings and try to come up with more balanced thoughts.
Understanding the difference between feelings and reality: Some people tend to believe that if they feel something strongly it must be right. “If I feel so stupid, it must be that I am stupid.” When you catch yourself thinking in this way change it to a coping statement of “the fact that I feel stupid does not mean that I really am.”
Cease comparisons. They’re an act violence against oneself.
Author Iyanla Vanzant believes that “comparison is an act of violence against the self.” Comparisons are always subjective, often biased and rarely helpful. Acutely aware of how hard we’re working to keep our head above water and fulfill expectations, we often mistakenly assume others are getting by more effortlessly. The reality is that many many people are stretched and struggling just like you. Perhaps not in the same way, but in their own way, with their own unique set of challenges, insecurities and internal struggles.
Too often we fall into the trap of comparing our insides with others outsides; our weaknesses with others strengths. We say to ourselves, “If only I could speak with the confidence and humor of John,” “If only I could decipher a P&L as fast as Ruth,” or “If only I was as creative as Susan.” Meanwhile, all the Johns and Ruths and Susans are thinking: “If only I was as good with the details, or navigating the politics, or creating strategy, or fostering collaboration” as you!
Hold firm to ambition. Risk outright exposure!
Fear of being “found out” can sabotage success on multiple fronts as it drives us to settle for less than we want and steer a wide berth from situations that might expose our inadequacy and unworthiness. Yet while our fears urge to us to stick with what we know we’re good at – where risk of being uncovered is minimized – letting fear sit at the helm in life is a surefire recipe for a life of lackluster mediocrity.
In the book, Stop Playing Safe, Margie Warrell states that “While playing safe removes the immediate risk of exposure, it opens up the greater risk of never knowing just how capable, deserving and “more than” worthy you truly are.” It’s why, as Sheryl Sandberg has declared so loudly in her book Lean In, women must “lean in” to new challenges. It’s why, regardless of gender, we must all dare to lay our pride and vulnerability on the line, particularly when our fears are urging us to play safe.
It takes courage to take on challenges and pursue aspirations that leave you wide open to falling short, losing face and being ‘found out.’ But when you refuse to let your doubts dictate your choices, you open new doors of opportunity and discover just how much you can really do. Even if you never accomplish all you aspire toward, you will accomplish so much more than you otherwise would have. In the process you’ll come to realize that the only impostor you ever had to worry about is your fear of people thinking you are one.
Talk to your mentors
Somerville is now in his fifth year of graduate school and says he no longer feels like he doesn’t belong. “The thing that made so much difference was supportive, encouraging supervision,” he says. Hives, too, says he’s benefited from sharing his feelings with a mentor who has helped him recognize that his impostor feelings are both normal and irrational. Though he still struggles with the feelings, he says, “I am now able to recognize my personal progress and growth instead of comparing myself to other students and professionals.”
Recognize your expertise
Don’t just look to those who are more experienced for help, however. Tutoring or working with younger students, for instance, can help you realize how far you’ve come and how much knowledge you have to impart.
Remember what you do well
Imes encourages her clients to make a realistic assessment of their abilities. “Most high achievers are pretty smart people, and many really smart people wish they were geniuses. But most of us aren’t,” she says. “We have areas where we’re quite smart and areas where we’re not so smart.” She suggests writing down the things you’re truly good at, and the areas that might need work. That can help you recognize where you’re doing well, and where there’s legitimate room for improvement.
Realize no one is perfect
Clance urges people with impostor feelings to stop focusing on perfection. “Do a task ‘well enough,'” she says. It’s also important to take time to appreciate the fruits of your hard work. “Develop and implement rewards for success — learn to celebrate,” she adds.
Change your thinking
People with impostor feelings have to reframe the way they think about their achievements, says Imes. She helps her clients gradually chip away at the superstitious thinking that fuels the impostor cycle. That’s best done incrementally, she says. For instance, rather than spending 10 hours on an assignment, you might cut yourself off at eight. Or you may let a friend read a draft that you haven’t yet perfectly polished. “Superstitions need to be changed very gradually because they are so strong,” she says.
Talk to someone who can help
For many people with impostor feelings, individual therapy can be extremely helpful. A psychologist or other therapist can give you tools to help you break the cycle of impostor thinking, says Imes.
| Strategy | Description |
| Break the silence | Speak out about your feelings. Knowing there is a name for these feelings and that other people suffer from them can be very reassuring. |
| Separate feelings from fact | Everyone feels stupid from time to time. Just because you feel it doesn’t mean you are. |
| Recognize when it’s normal to feel fraudulent | When something is new to you, you may feel like you don’t fit in. These feelings are natural response for any novice. |
| Accentuate the positive | Don’t obsess over everything. Do a great job when it is important, don’t persevere over routine tasks. |
| Develop a new response to failure and mistake making | Learn from your mistakes and move on. Don’t dwell on what has happened in the past. |
| Right the rules | Don’t feel like you always need to know the correct answer. Recognize that you have just as much right as the next person to make a mistake or ask for help. |
| Develop a new script | Rewrite your mental script from “I am an impostor” to “I may not know all the answers but I am smart enough to figure it out.” |
| Visualize success | Instead of thinking of worst case scenarios, imagine yourself conducting an excellent presentation or answering questions with the correct reply. |
| Reward yourself | Learn to pat yourself on the back when you deserve it. Don’t hide from validation! |
| Fake it ‘til you make it | Take a chance and “wing it;” this is not a sign of ineptness, but rather a sign that you are intelligent and able to rise to a challenge. |
Change can be difficult and especially difficult if you doubt your own abilities.
“I still think people will find out that I’m really not very talented. I’m really not very good. It’s all been a big sham.” – Michelle Pfeifer
“Sometimes I wake up in the morning before going off to a shoot, and I think, I can’t do this. I’m a fraud.” – Kate Winslett
“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’ “ – Maya Angelou
High achievers tend to focus more on what they haven’t done versus what they have. Take Dr. Margaret Chan, Chief of the World Health Organization, for example. She once said: ”There are an awful lot of people out there who think I’m an expert. How do these people believe all this about me? I’m so much aware of all the things I don’t know.”
But just as we must take responsibility for our failures in life, we must also take responsibility for our successes. Minimizing them serves no-one. So if you sometimes feel undeserving of your success, try writing a list of all the key things you’ve accomplished over the last 5 years. You may find that even the fruits of your last 12 months’ effort will help you to see how well deserved all your success.
References
https://counseling.caltech.edu/general/InfoandResources/Impostor
http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/04/03/impostor-syndrome/#540c0e99eb9d
http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/fraud.aspx