As a senior in the middle of their college application process, I’ve watched my fair share of college-related videos, whether it be decision reactions, application tips, or the pros and cons of a certain college. In these videos, there was one term, in particular, that was thrown around frequently – Impostor syndrome. It’s the feeling that you are not good enough, that you are undeserving of your accomplishments and accolades, and the constant internalized fear of being discovered to be a “fraud”.
An important thing to note is that, unlike what the name suggests, impostor syndrome (ie. the impostor experience, impostor phenomenon, or impostorism) is not a mental disorder and is experienced by around 70% of people at some point in their lives. In fact, even literary legend and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Maya Angelou once said "I have written 11 books but each time I think 'Uh-oh, they're going to find out now.’”
The term was first coined by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes when they investigated the signs of impostorism among high-achieving undergraduate students. Although they were successful students from an external point of view and were excelling in terms of their test scores, they felt that they did not deserve a spot in their college.
Impostor syndrome expert Dr. Valerie Young identified different categories of people who experience feelings of failure and what characteristics they have in common:
‘Perfectionists’ set unrealistically high expectations for themselves, and feel a sense of incompetence when they can’t achieve 100% of all their goals or make a small mistake.
‘Experts’ feel the need to know everything there is to know about something and strive to prove this by gaining certifications and taking training courses. They are hesitant in speaking up, applying for a job, or taking charge unless they are completely sure that they are correct for fear of looking stupid. The ‘natural genius’ considers effort a sign of weakness in themselves as they are accustomed to skills and knowledge coming easily to them.
‘Soloists’ have an urge to do everything by themselves, and asking for help makes them feel like a failure. ‘Supermen’ or ‘superwomen’ push themselves to be better than those around them – to work harder, to be more successful at life, etc.
One thing all people with impostor syndrome have in common is that they attribute their success to external forces, such as luck, instead of acknowledging their own abilities. The more you are unable to recognize your own talent, the more your anxiety increases from comparing yourself to others. It may also lead to limited opportunities because you feel as though you are not good enough to apply for that program or you don’t think you’re worthy of getting that scholarship. It will ultimately impact how we view challenges and overcome them.
Though it does carry many negative impacts, at a smaller scale, imposter syndrome could arguably help motivate you to do the best you can. When wielded correctly, the weapon of self-esteem could drive you to prove you can be better, therefore helping you achieve improved results. However, when does this stop? You could be incredibly successful and at the best you could be in the eyes of others — like Maya Angelou — but beat yourself up time and time again because of your own low self-confidence.
In order to overcome these feelings of inadequacy, we need to remind ourselves of our value and that we are deserving of the opportunities that we worked for. Doubting yourself is normal. The important thing is to make sure that this doubt doesn’t consume you and doesn’t control your actions.
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