Combating Imposter Syndrome

By Irene Gatimi

Imposter syndrome, also known as the imposter phenomenon or imposter experience, is the serious feeling of inadequacy in a given space. People experiencing imposterism often feel as if they “cheated the system” and are undeserving of a seat at the table, typically despite having earned the position. Many studies have shown that imposterism is found across genders, races, ages, and occupations, though it may be more prevalent and disproportionately affect the experiences of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. Imposter syndrome is not a disease or abnormality, and it’s not necessarily tied to depression, anxiety, or self esteem. 

These feelings of fraudulence come from pluralistic ignorance, where we doubt ourselves privately, but believe we are alone in this thinking and don’t understand that many others feel similarly. Feelings of inadequacy despite our accomplishments telling us otherwise is much more universal than we think. Even after winning several prestigious awards, African-American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou  experienced imposter syndrome, saying, “I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.” German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein also carried feelings of self-doubt, describing himself as an “involuntary swindler,” whose work didn’t deserve as much attention as it had received. 

The point of the matter is that anyone can experience imposter syndrome. I, myself, experienced major imposter syndrome whenever I stood on stage winning DECA awards at state conferences in high school. I had a hard time shaking off the feeling that I had fooled the judges. I didn’t realize it then, but now that I look back I had no reason to feel that way because I had spent countless hours studying the material and practicing how I present myself in front of others to prepare for the conferences. 

By Maureen Tanner

I didn’t know what imposter syndrome was until I was in college, even though I struggled with it in high school. Imposter syndrome can be about feeling out of place when you are in a job or research lab. You don't feel like you fit. I believe that this is normal for anyone to go through this and that it can motivate you to do better. I used concerns about living up to expectations  as an influence to be greater than my average self.

I have been struggling with imposter syndrome for a while in college. For me, it has to do with the research that I perform with groups and in my classes. Even though I know I work hard to receive A’s in my classes or work hard to contribute to my research lab, I still struggled to give myself sufficient credit. After a while, though, when research or classes started getting tougher, I started having more self-appreciation. I felt that I proved myself, and kept on getting better and better. 

Unfortunately, even after that positive experience, I fell into another set of imposter syndrome moments related to a research opportunity that I felt could make or break me. I felt like if I am not perfect, then I will lose everything I have worked for. It is hard not to let it take over your thinking, but I noticed the more I let it weigh on me, the more I lost touch with myself and others. I overcame my imposter syndrome by reminding myself that I was put in the position through my worth. 

By Irene Gatimi

Intense feelings of imposterism can prove to be a serious problem when it prevents us from sharing our great ideas or applying for jobs or programs we could excel at. So you must be wondering, “How do we overcome it?” Imposter syndrome is tough to deal with, but there are definitely some methods out there that have helped others and we hope by bringing a few to you, they can help you too. One thing we can all do is recognize when we are experiencing imposter syndrome and then share it with others. Since imposter syndrome is rooted in pluralistic ignorance, if we start to realize that we are not alone in our thoughts of inadequacy it naturally alleviates these feelings of fraudulence. I mean we all couldn’t have cheated the system, right? This is especially helpful when you hear that an advisor, mentor, or someone you consider a higher up has also experienced feelings of imposterism. Realizing that there is this phenomenon we are a part of allows us to combat our own imposter syndrome by collecting and revisiting feedback with a new perspective. This may not entirely rid ourselves of our imposter syndrome, but these open conversations can help us to see how common these experiences are. Seeing this commonality may perhaps build confidence in some simple truths: you are capable, you are deserving, and you belong.