“I still believe that, at any time, the no-talent police will come and arrest me”. - Mike Myers, Actor - Austin Powers, Wayne’s World, Shrek
If you’ve ever felt inferior compared to the people around you, or like you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be, then you may be experiencing a case of imposter syndrome.
Take Clara, for example. As the awarding ceremony approached, Clara felt doubt and anxiety creeping up on her. A well-known women’s group nominated her as a model entrepreneur for reasons that continued to elude her. They explained that her retail shop downtown helped several local artisans promote and distribute their hand-crafted and ethically sourced goods. Still, Clara wondered, should that warrant this level of recognition? Surely somebody else had made more significant contributions compared to her, right?
If you have ever found yourself in a similar situation to Clara’s, you might be experiencing a psychological phenomenon called imposter syndrome. What exactly does that mean? Is it the same as an inferiority complex or self-esteem issues? More importantly, if you feel trapped by this mentality, can you find a way out of it, or are you doomed to fail no matter what?
Learn more about this condition by reading the below - it’s much more common than you think.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
People afflicted with imposter syndrome describe it as a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud even when others genuinely recognise you as good or successful at what you do.
Neither the reality, nor the external validation, can overcome your negative perception of your competence in performing the key roles you have in life - for example, as a business owner or as a parent.
In other cases, the person attributes their achievements to external, often uncontrollable, factors. Some believe that they only “got lucky”. It is never about how they exerted time and effort to get to where they are. Instead, they assume their success is a product of fortunate circumstances that could have happened to anyone else.
It’s critical to note that mental health experts have not classified the imposter syndrome as a mental disorder, like depression or psychosis. The impacts it may have on your day-to-day living depend on other factors, including your personality, support system, and lifestyle. Nevertheless, failing to identify its signs and address them promptly and decisively can have debilitating effects on your wellbeing and overall life satisfaction.
Types of Imposter Syndrome
Various studies concur that around 70% of people may experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives. That’s more than enough to make you stop and think if you are also part of the statistics.
Given how prevalent this phenomenon is, Dr. Valerie Young examined decades’ worth of data from high-performing individuals who struggle with their self-confidence and need for validation. Her studies allowed her to categorise them into five types, which we will discuss below.
1. The Perfectionist
Aiming for perfection does not necessarily mean you have a problem with your self-perception. It becomes alarming if you desire perfection in everything you do because anything less than that would reveal to others that you are not good at all. The imperfections others exhibit also prevent you from trusting their abilities and commitment to your collective goals.
Example: Chris the perfectionist
Chris established high standards for himself and expected everyone to have them, too. Therefore, if he failed to reach that desired level or state, he would spend hours or even days ruminating about where they had gone wrong and how others may have changed their thoughts about him.
Further, Chris found it hard to entrust crucial tasks to his employees. He had seen their output, and none were up to par. So, rather than wait too long only to be disappointed by the results, he would take on the tasks himself, believing he was the only man who could do it well.
With these exacting attitudes, it’s no wonder Chris feels a general discontentment towards his achievements as a business owner. His personal life has also started to suffer as the effects of job burnout spread to his other interests and social circles.
2. The Superwoman/man
A Superwoman/man has a twisted view of their work ethic.
They value diligence and persistence at the expense of their self-worth. If attempting to prove how hard they work is the right approach, how else can they claim to be competent at what they do?
Such a mentality is unsustainable. Every late night spent working feeds their insecurities, thus bringing them closer to the brink of a meltdown. The imbalance between their careers and personal life also prevents them from seeking relief and receiving the support needed to take on more significant challenges along the way.
Example: Carla the superwoman
Carla worked hard to build her small business from scratch. Aside from running the shop, she would usually spend her nights researching local artisans and finding ways to connect with them in hopes of widening her network of suppliers.
Years later, she was nominated for a prominent award in her industry. She didn’t believe it, and believed she wasn’t worthy of it.
For Carla, what she did was not extraordinary. Instead, she believed all small business owners worked just as hard towards a loftier purpose than hers. That’s why she could not fathom why she, of all people, deserved a nomination. She felt neither special nor accomplished enough to earn the praises of others.
3. The Natural Genius
Though this type of imposter syndrome bears striking similarities with the Perfectionist, the primary difference lies in the process of achieving a particular goal. Perfectionists usually take their time and exert much effort until they attain the highest level of accomplishment. On the other hand, a Natural Genius wants to hit the target on the first attempt. That’s why mistakes or failures to grasp a new skill make them feel like total frauds.
The roots of being a Natural Genius are usually deep-seated. Let’s look at an example.
Example: Ben the natural genius
Evan’s was academically gifted. His family, friends, teachers and schoolmates were in awe of his achievements.
Over the years, Evan took on new challenges in a stride, but as he grew older, he started baulking at those challenges in fear of stumbling.
When the time came for him to take over the reins of the family business, Evan felt petrified. He could not bring himself to ask his parents to continue mentoring him. After several years of education and working under their direction, shouldn’t he feel at ease and ready to take the next step?
To his dismay, Evan didn’t feel that way. His apprehensions for the future of their business ate him up inside.
With no suitable outlet at his disposal, the Natural Genius became plagued by panic attacks and restless nights.
4. The Soloist
Soloists take great pride in their independence, self-sufficiency and ability to get stuff done without help from others.
But those who work alone, suffer alone.
Example: Jeffrey the soloist
Jeff loved working on his own. His whole life, he had to fight for what he wanted, and nobody helped him. He didn’t come from a wealthy or influential family, so he was always left to fend for himself.
Naturally, when he grew up, he wanted to start his own business. Banks granted him a loan for his startup’s capital because of his solid business plan and proven tenacity towards his goals. With this level of success, the next logical step was to expand the operations. But rather than working towards this milestone, he feared that doing so would bring his business down.
Why? Because expanding the scope of Jeffrey’s business required joining new markets. The entrepreneur had minimal knowledge of them, and though he could tap other professionals to assist him in studying them, he didn’t have the confidence to use their recommendations to move his business forward.
Therein lay Jeffrey’s dilemma. He could spend his time and effort examining these new markets on his own. However, in doing so, he would have to give up some of his current responsibilities as the leader of their organisation. =
For Jeffrey, that was unthinkable.
He believed his employees lacked the expertise or authority to perform those duties. While he could try juggling these initiatives by himself, he also understood it was only a matter of time before something would slip through his grasp.
5. The Expert
We advocate for lifelong learning since it leads to personal growth, empathy, and innovation, among others.
However, this thirst for knowledge and new skills should not be your sole measure for success and deter you from engaging with the world and other people in a more meaningful way.
That’s where issues of being an expert originate.
Example: Abby the expert
Abby was the owner of a small advertising agency. She had worked for over a decade in an established firm before setting off on her own to gain more freedom at work. Her new team was primarily composed of eager fresh graduates, so it was up to her to convince prospective clients that they could get the job done.
Abby took this role seriously. She regularly attended conferences and obtained certifications to improve her credentials. Despite this, this Expert felt intimidated to pitch for most high-paying projects. Her confidence would be particularly shaken if she discovered her former employer aimed for the same project.
In those moments, it didn’t matter to Abby how many years of experience and formal training she had under her belt. She would feel like she was not much better than the younger members of her team. There was so much Abby had to learn before she could fight for the projects she wanted for her agency.
Consequences of Imposter Syndrome
For some people, worrying about whether they are good enough may have some beneficial effects, like feeling incentivised to master a skill or pushing them to keep working until they have reached their goals.
Doing this excessively - like Carla did as a small business owner - can lead to devastating and sometimes irreversible impacts on your physical health, mental wellness and social life.
1. Poor Physical and Mental Health
Most types of “imposters” tend to overprepare as a means of appeasing their inner doubts and fears. This process leads to higher stress levels, which can impair memory and concentration while also weakening the immune system.
Since they had succeeded through such methods, this has a high potential of triggering an unhealthy cycle of working harder than necessary. Being in a prolonged state of exhaustion and constant anxiety can result in burnout. In extreme cases, it can put you at risk of heart disease and certain mental disorders, including depression and anxiety.
If you would recall, this is what happened to Chris, the Perfectionist. His unshakeable resolve to attain 100% at everything was a double-edged sword. He did manage to keep producing high-quality output but at the cost of his personal health and general contentment in life.
In the case of Evan, the Natural Genius, his mental health started deteriorating the longer he refused to seek the guidance of his parents. He was so determined to preserve his image that it blinded him from the long-term repercussions of his unreasonable stubbornness.
2. Missed opportunities
The feelings of inadequacy and indecision evoked by the imposter syndrome can hold you back from grabbing opportunities that come your way. Such individuals would rather stay in place or go back to the drawing board so that they can avoid being branded as a failure.
For instance, Jeffrey the Soloist had the means of growing his business if only he would rely on his team more. Other companies have also successfully hired professionals to do research, so it could have been just a matter of outsourcing the task to the right people. Instead, he leaned towards maintaining the status quo as a means of protecting himself and his business.
Abby the Expert had multiple chances to showcase how far she had gone in the industry. Along the way, she made deliberate steps to realise the best version of herself. It would seem that the ideal image wasn’t constant or absolute. She would find more things to improve about herself, even if the current or upcoming situation didn’t call for it. She got stuck in her perception of reality, even when she was more than ready to make a mark on the world of advertising.
3. Strained relationships
Though imposter syndrome causes more damage to the self than anyone else, it can still wreak havoc within your social circles. Your inability to acknowledge your competence, combined with your fears and self-doubt, can result in miscommunication and a lack of trust between you and those around you.
Carla the Superwoman was admired by her community for being an exemplary and virtuous leader. She couldn’t recognise that on her own, but that didn’t stop others from honouring her efforts in a public manner.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said with Carla’s family. Her dedication to her business and helping the locals did not leave much room for her spouse and children. She could feel the distance growing. However, her wishes to close that gap would often be overruled. After all, her family would reap the benefits of her hard work in the end.
How to Fight Imposter Syndrome
Eliminating your insecurities and self-sabotaging ways starts from within. Learn how to start the conversation with yourself to cope with imposter syndrome and lead a more fulfilling life.
1. Take the time to introspect
Find time in your day to grab a pen and paper and look for a quiet place where you can be alone. Sit down and spend a few minutes focusing on breathing in and out slowly. When you feel relatively at ease, reflect on the probing questions below. Go through them one by one. Write down your thoughts as they come so you can refer to them later. Refrain from censoring yourself or making judgments at this point.
- What quality of a person do I hold above all else?
- Why is this quality vital to me?
- Do I possess or exhibit this quality now?
- Can I attain success only if I have this quality?
- Am I still worthy of love and respect without it?
Answering these questions can help you identify which type of imposter feelings you have. Remember, it won’t likely be clear-cut. You might be a combination of a Perfectionist and a Soloist. Or perhaps it varies depending on who you are with or your present situation.
As confusing as that may sound, try to identify where you typically fall under among the five categories so that you can understand yourself better and develop a more focused approach.
2. Conduct a self-assessment of your abilities
Make a list of the abilities that you believe are critical to your success. Then, rate your competence from one to ten, with one signifying your total lack of competence and ten indicating that you have mastered that ability. Again, do this activity with an open mind.
The next step involves creating an inventory of your accomplishments so far. They can be big or small, as long as they have made you feel happy or positively impacted yourself, your career or your relationships with others. Your wins may also be from when you were a child until the present.
Afterwards, compare your self-rated competency assessment versus the inventory. Note how you perceive your abilities vis-à-vis the actual results of your efforts. Pay attention to the noticeable differences. For instance, you rated yourself low in communication skills, but your past successes include facilitating high-level meetings and managing to release weekly newsletters to your team.
Those discrepancies help you better visualise the differences between your thoughts and actions. And as you go through each point, consider this: Others are not privy to your musings and internal dialogues, but they can observe your efforts and feel their effects. Use that as a reminder whenever you feel like deflecting the compliments or gratitude directed towards you.
3. Refrain from comparing yourself to others
Feeling like a fraud can arise when you constantly measure yourself against the accomplishments of those around you. When you notice how well they are doing compared to you, it can make your insecurities flare up and solidify your beliefs that you are simply not good at all.
Social media has made it easier for comparisons to be made. A quick scroll through your timeline will likely show you the best moments others want to share with the world. Those snapshots don’t depict the entire story. Nonetheless, they can contribute to the development of unrealistic standards or expectations.
Rather than viewing other high-performing and well-adjusted individuals as rivals, change your perspective by thinking of them as positive role models. Make them your sources of inspiration and emulate their good qualities instead of bringing yourself down with unflattering thoughts.
4. Reach out to professionals
As explained earlier, the imposter syndrome is not a mental disorder. That said, its impacts can range from trivial to devastating depending on various factors, including what caused it, how fractured your self-worth is, and where you currently are in life.
Though you can apply our recommended strategies above to confront yourself and change for the better, we also encourage seeking professional help as needed. You might need a more structured approach from someone who can monitor your progress and steer you back in the right direction if you feel like returning to your old ways.
It would be best to inform your loved ones that you are receiving guidance from a professional. In that way, they can find ways to support you, too.
We understand how terrifying it can be to open up to others, especially if they play significant roles in your life. Still, you might be surprised to learn that they understand what you’re going through since they have also felt that way at some point, too.
5. Take Action Now
There is no shame in admitting that we sometimes feel like a fraud. Remember, you are not alone. Many people go through self-defeating moments. What should worry you more is the inability to move forward despite recognising that something is inherently wrong with how you view yourself. With the numerous strategies to cope with imposter syndrome, you will eventually reach a point where you can shed away those negative attitudes and beliefs. You will learn to celebrate your successes more and feel grateful for the chances that come your way. It may require some time to make significant life adjustments but know that you have what it takes to overcome the challenges of feeling like an imposter.