There is an impostor among us

Have you ever felt like the things that are happening to you are too good? And I mean too good. Like, the incorrect amount of good. After all, you don’t deserve those things, you didn’t earn them. Other people have worked harder or achieved more, and they should be in your place, because they’re smarter, or nicer, or more hard-working than you. Because they’re better than you. And yet, here you are, taking on what doesn’t belong to you. Whether it’s a new job, a new position, or a new graduate programme, as soon as you’re charged with the responsibility or – God forbid –, appraised for it, there is one part of you that knows that you’re a fraud, and that scares you into thinking that everyone else will unmask you sooner or later.

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If that’s true of you, don’t worry: you’re not alone. Many of us have had the same feelings, although perhaps to a different extent and at a different level of frequency, at some moment of our lives. For some of us, the feeling never disappears. It’s called impostor syndrome.

 

What is impostor syndrome?

 

The impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern by which you essentially doubt your accomplishments, attribute them to external forces (such as luck, rather than ability), and get a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. It happens with outstanding frequency among students and young workers who are starting a new and more challenging position.

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Author:

Natalia Marcela Pitta Osses

Article Writer & Content Contributor

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The opinions expressed in this article/publication are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of GiLE or its members.

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