Impostor Syndrome 101

Impostor Syndrome was first identified in 1978 by Dr. Pauline Rose Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes. They defined Impostor Syndrome as a feeling of “phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement.”

I had a recent conversation with a man who told me he had heard the women in his life talking about Impostor Syndrome, but he had no idea what it was. 

As I explained the phenomenon, he said he could understand my words, but he couldn't identify with what that must feel like. But then he had an insight. He's experienced feeling like a fraud too, but only briefly and in a limited scope, with something outside of work. After a few internal pep talks and reassurance from a respected mentor, he was fine again. 

This is not Impostor Syndrome. This is an uncomfortable, unwelcome crisis of confidence. 

He was able to visit the gates of Impostor Syndrome and then get the hell out of there. Others of us live there almost all of the time. 

Impostor Syndrome is Not a Syndrome
Impostor Syndrome is not in the DSM-V as it is not an actual pathology. Rather, it is a phenomenon influenced dramatically by personal, cultural, societal, and circumstantial factors. 

There is a reason most women feel impostor syndrome at work. Work was not created with women in mind. Nor was it made with Black or Brown folk in mind. That conversation I had was with a middle-aged, white, cishet man. Work was built for him. He makes sense in that world. He may struggle with learning something, but his sense of belonging in the workplace has never been threatened. 

Meanwhile, those who have historically been and currently are marginalized face frequent instances of doubt, scrutiny, and obstacles from the world around them. These external experiences bleed into the internal psyche. 

Of course, those external factors are not the only conditions that exacerbate Impostor Syndrome. Your personal history, work culture, and the nature of your work also play a role. 

Over the next few weeks, I will bring us back to the basics of Impostor Syndrome. We'll dive into the conditions that keep you trapped in Impostor Syndrome and how you can move away from it.

While some folks may say it's a good sign if you feel like an impostor, I disagree. I know the exhaustion, pain, and shame involved when you live in the land of impostors. It's lonely and scary. 

The good news is you don't have to live there. There's a way out. I won't promise you that you will walk away from the land of impostors forever because the perfect impostor storm can always show up, but there is a life outside those gates. 

Let's get there together.