I Am Not Good Enough: Managing Imposter Syndrome

We thought that you may find this excerpt from an article posted on the Psychology Today website to be insightful. View the article in its entirety at the URL below.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/apple-day/202102/what-if-you-achieved-your-wildest-dreams-felt-miserable

You might have heard people mention the Imposter Syndrome, sometimes known as the Fraud Syndrome. It refers to the idea that your accomplishments aren’t worthy of the attention, praise, and care that you are receiving and that everyone will find out that you are actually a fraud. 

The Imposter Syndrome

It is almost like there is a monster sitting on your shoulder, whispering the worst things about you and making you doubt your every move. 

The Imposter Syndrome was first introduced in 1978 in the article, "The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention" by Dr. Pauline Rose Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes. 

Imposter Syndrome happens when we disregard our talents and abilities, especially when we are presented with an amazing opportunity. For example, when Harry Potter was told that he is a wizard, his immediate reaction was to believe that there was some kind of a mistake, that he couldn’t possibly be magical or special in any way. 

Have you ever experienced any of the following after being presented with an exciting opportunity:

A. Embarrassment and fear of failure, and thoughts with insecure content, such as:

1.     “What was I thinking?” 

2.     “I’m not good enough”

3.     “Everyone will realize that I am a fraud”

4.     “If I try this, I will fail!”

B. Leading to any of the following reactions:

1.       Over-preparing to impress others

2.       Procrastinating and panicking about procrastinating

3.       Increase in superstitious behaviors, such as wearing or not wearing a particular item of clothing because of the belief that if you do it the wrong way, you will fail

4.       Desire to escape or withdraw from the feared situation or avoiding anyone who reminds you of the specific situation, leading to avoidance of friends, mentors, or co-workers, or teachers

5.       The belief that everyone is harshly evaluating you

6.       The belief that everyone else isn’t a fraud and has never felt like a fraud

C. Persistent physical anxiety reactions, such as:

1.       Increased heart rate

2.       Shallow breathing

3.       Sweaty palms

4.       Muscle tension

5.       Difficultly staying or falling asleep

If you said, “yes” to the above-listed criteria, you might also have struggled with the Imposter Syndrome. The Imposter Syndrome is not a medical or a psychological disorder, but it is a common experience that happens to a lot of people, especially intelligent, talented, and successful people. It is more prevalent in women, as well as gender minorities, LGBQIA and BIPOC individuals. Although Imposter Syndrome is more commonly found in these populations, it can occur in people of all genders and all backgrounds, and all occupations, including:

  • Doctors and Nurses

  • Engineering

  • Researchers

  • Attorneys

  • Entrepreneurs

  • Writers/artists

  • Professors

Many celebrities, scientists, and other public figures, such as Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, Emma Watson, David Tennant, Michelle Obama, and Neil Gaiman also talked about having Imposter Syndrome. Many students in highly successful academic programs or sports teams might also believe that they are imposters and were selected by accident. 

If you have these feelings, you might believe that you always have to be perfect, never make any mistakes, and that you must accomplish everything yourself without any assistance, support, tutoring, or mentoring. Any mistake or received support might make you believe that you are not worthy of praise and your achievement.

And yet all superheroes, including Superman, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, and She-Ra need sidekicks to help them succeed. Sidekicks are not only helpful, but they are also necessary, and it is unreasonable to expect that you should be able to do everything without any mistakes, setbacks, or without any assistance. 

Some people believe that if they are not natural geniuses, (if talents or abilities don’t come naturally to them) then they are not truly talented or worthy. Many people mistakenly believe that if they were talented, they wouldn’t have to study or practice, but every talented individual not only practices but also has multiple setbacks along the way. 

N'dgo Jackson