THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Last week I went to hear a talk about some of the stress related problems people have. At one point someone asked about something called “The Imposter Syndrome”.*

Someone else said they never heard anyone but Millennials/Generation Y worry about this.

Apparently however, Generation Y is not the only group that concerns themselves about whether they will be ‘found out’ as not as smart, deserving, talented or experienced as others think they are. An older woman said she had felt this way all of her life. As she kept getting promoted, she always doubted that she deserved the recognition she kept getting throughout her life.

The Imposter Syndrome according to Caltech Counseling Center is described as ‘a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist even in face of information that indicates that the opposite is true. It is experienced internally as chronic self-doubt, and feelings of intellectual fradulence’.** It is often exhibited by 'high achievers'.

You feel that you are a fake, you think that any success you have came to you because of luck, you downplay and dismiss any success you have.

A combination of fear of success, pressure you feel about not failing and the way your family viewed your abilities and often also family messages about superiority, may all contribute to making high achievers feel they are hiding the truth about themselves from others and risk exposure.

This made me wonder at something that Princess Diana said about feeling ‘unworthy’ which might have contributed to the problems she had while Princess of Wales.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way but apparently up to 70% of people do according to Margie Wardell*

Meanwhile, someone pointed out that there are a lot of ‘fake’ people out there, so I should not be surprised that some people might worry about being ‘found out’.

Considering the admiration our society gives to wealth and status, it is not surprising that some people try to appear, richer, smarter or more clever than other people, by whatever means they can.  

Our society even identifies ‘Trophy Wives’ who are Women who seem to ‘sell’ themselves to the males of high status or wealth. Such trade offs, in this case of looks or desirability, hearken back to ‘The Dollar Princesses’ who came to Europe from America in the last century to exchange their cash for high status titles of impecunious lords.***

Everyone knows someone who they consider a ‘poseur’ or fake. Often this label is well deserved. Personally I doubt many of this type suffer either remorse or concern about deceiving others.

The Imposter Syndrome on the other hand may require counseling and help to sort out perceptions a person is harbouring versus the reality. 

Fear of being found wanting in knowledge, talent, or ability in the face of a perfectly qualified but self-doubting individual apparently can be helped by a realistic reevaluation of the actual abilities, skills and talents the person possesses.

*http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/04/03/impostor-syndrome/print/ Afraid Of Being ‘Found Out?’ How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome – Maggie Wardell Forbes 04/03/2014

**https://counseling.caltech.edu/general/InfoandResources/Impostor Caltech – Caltech Counseling Center – The Imposter Syndrome

***Books: TO MARRY AN ENGLISH LORD - by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace and THE DOLLAR PRINCESSES by Ruth Brandon