Imposter Syndrome

Posted on September 4, 2018

People who have Imposter Syndrome often doubt their own abilities and achievements. They are constantly afraid of being identified as a fraud. Despite numerous proves and evidences to support their achievements, they are persistent in thinking that they are undeserving of the success they have achieved and deem the success as luck. They insist that others perceived themselves as much better, much smarter and competent than they actually are.

One of the possible reasons that leads to this syndrome is the lack of self-confidence, but the fact that powerful men also doubt their abilities from time to time shows anyone can be a victim of Imposter Syndrome, even the most powerful person.

Imposter Syndrome is a response to specific situations. Some symptoms include being a perfectionist, overly afraid of failing, and constantly underestimating your own abilities and accomplishments. These will then weaken one’s self-esteem and emotional stability, leading to stress, low self-confidence, anxiety, shame or even depression for more serious cases.

Imposter Syndrome prevents us from mustering the courage to grab hold of new opportunities, pursue things we are passionate about and taking any active action to open ourselves to meaningful experiences. One way to deal with this is to vocalize our fears. Talking to someone about how you feel alleviates fear and provides a sense of assurance that you are not alone. Writing down a list of things one has accomplished in life acts as a direct and physical proof of the successes one has achieved. These help to increase one’ self-confidence by creating a strong and stable support system and witnessing the feedback received that acknowledges their accomplishments and results.

Always remember that you exist to serve a purpose, be it your career or your life. You are worthy and so much better than you perceive yourself to be. You are way more intelligent than you think, and you know more than you credit yourself for. Tell that to yourself as regularly as you need to.


Category(s):Adult psychological development, Health Psychology, Self-Confidence, Self-Criticism, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem

Source material from Psychology Today