Battling the imposter syndrome
IMPOSTER SYNDROME IS VERY COMMON AND TALKING ABOUT IT IS SOMETHING EXPERTS BELIEVE CAN HELP
Verena is only twenty-seven years old, but professionally, she is thriving, with a long list of achievements under her belt: she’s a professional photographer, winning awards and much in demand, who excelled at school and had a professional sports career.
Despite all that, she fears she isn’t able to do all that she claims. Hearing her speak, you might imagine Verena is a cheater. But she only suffers from the imposter syndrome, where from the outside it seems everything is going well but within they feel their successes aren’t their own.
Explaining the situation some more, Mirjam Zanchetta, a researcher who studies imposter syndrome, says, “We’re talking about people who’re demonstrably successful but who cannot internalize that fact,” she says.
Sufferers don’t believe in their own success; instead, they believe their achievements are because of external factors such as luck or timing. At least Verena claims that’s how it’s for her.
“That’s the paradox—I’m not lying to anyone and not claiming that I can do things I cannot, and yet I’m afraid someone will one day ask me ‘What are you doing here?’” she says.
Verena, who didn’t want to provide her real name for the article, however, says she has no problem talking about her feelings and thoughts. “I even think it’s important to show people that they aren’t alone,” she says.
However, the feelings of self-doubt are also very personal. Verena, for one, only reveals them to a limited extent. To others, she seems highly self-confident. “I keep up appearances,” she says. “Many struggling with the syndrome behave the same way, keeping the secret to themselves,” says Mirjam Zanchetta. The unreal imposters The numbers suffering from imposter syndrome are unclear as many don’t admit it even in research. Much remains theoretical, and there’s little data to draw
Normally, when people succeed, it makes them more self-confident, but that doesn’t apply to those with imposter syndrome. Right from the outset of an activity, those suffering the imposter syndrome undermine the possibility of believing they did a good job or deserve positive feedback
upon. Up to 70 percent of people say they’re familiar with the feeling, says Leon Windscheid, a psychologist and author, although many couldn’t name it. “There’re many of them, so perhaps we shouldn’t be talking of it like an illness but as a normal condition,” he adds.
Windscheid believes the genesis of the feeling could be triggered by performance pressure during childhood. Those who suffer from imposter syndrome struggle to give themselves positive feedback. “You’re never really satisfied with your own achievements. You need more and more, like a hamster in a wheel,” he explains further.
Self-doubt is an important indicator of imposter syndrome, as is the everrecurring question of “Am I good enough to be here?” Verena, for instance, finds it hard to talk about her achievements and only names a few after persistent inquiries — that she’s excelled in academic while succeeding in competitive sports. “Is that a success? I don’t know,” she says, right after. After some reflection, she adds that her training as a journalist was a success. “Now I know what I can do and what I might not do so well,” she adds. Even so, she struggles when hearing praise.
Windscheid points out that normally, when people succeed, it makes them more self-confident, but that doesn’t apply to those with imposter syndrome. Right from the outset of an activity, those suffering the imposter syndrome undermine the possibility of believing they did a good job or deserve positive feedback. Despite achievements that seem obvious, the negative feelings don’t go away. “I always have this latent fear of having messed up,” Verena says, although she has never really made any terrible mistakes. But the worry persists that she has screwed up and no one has noticed yet. Verena is gradually getting her fears about being an imposter under control, and talking with her friends has helped, she says.
Windscheid also advises people with imposter syndrome to talk with others about their feelings to help them and others who may feel the same way. Sharing can also help generate ideas about how to deal with the situation, which might, in turn, help all involved. He also shares several other tips. “Compare yourself more with yourself as you used to be — and with yourself where you would like to be,” he says. “In summary, imposter syndrome is based on the feeling of being an imposter — though that is actually not the case.”
Windscheid, psychologist and author, advises people with imposter syndrome to talk with others about their feelings to help them and others who may feel the same way. Sharing can also help generate ideas about how to deal with the situation