The Impostor Phenomenon: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Doubt

Impostor syndrome —sometimes called impostor phenomenon or fraud syndrome— manifests as persistent self-doubt despite clear evidence of accomplishments and abilities. Those experiencing it live with a nagging fear of being "exposed" or "found out" as fraudulent, even when objectively successful.

It was first identified in 1978 by psychologists Suzanne Imes and Pauline Rose Clance when they studied successful women and other marginalized groups. 

This psychological pattern isn't confined to professional settings– It emerges wherever performance pressure exists: in academia, parenting, relationships, social circles, and even recreational pursuits. 

If you've ever questioned your legitimacy or felt undeserving of your achievements, you're not alone—research indicates about 70% of people experience this phenomenon at some point in their lives. 

Ironically, impostor syndrome disproportionately affects high achievers and perfectionists—precisely those who objectively have the least reason to doubt themselves. 

It's like your brain saying, "You've accomplished so much that I'm going to reward you with crippling self-doubt. You're welcome!"

Where Does Impostor Syndrome Come From?

Research suggests that impostor syndrome often takes root in childhood, shaped by caregiver expectations and social conditioning. 

Attachment behaviors are not just about relationships but also about how we process information to ensure emotional and psychological survival. That information becomes the template for how we view ourselves, our inherent worth, and our competence in the world.

Perhaps you grew up in a family that highly valued achievement, creating an environment where love seemed conditional on performance. Or you may have had inconsistent caregivers who alternated between praise and harsh criticism, leaving you confused and always trying to “get it right”. 

Sibling dynamics can also play a role—having a particularly talented brother or sister might have created a comparison narrative that became part of your identity, despite your caregivers' best efforts to build you up..

Regardless of its origins, impostor syndrome functions as a self-protection mechanism. It helps manage deeper fears of failure, rejection, instability, and the pain of feeling inadequate.

It is serving a purpose.

Why Impostor Feelings Persist

Imposter syndrome is the result of psychological patterns that act like a well-oiled machine, processing life experiences through a distorted lens.

These patterns operate beneath conscious awareness, filtering information in ways that reinforce the “fraud” narrative while discarding contradictory evidence. 

Understanding these mechanisms is crucial because they explain why simply accumulating more achievements rarely resolves impostor feelings.

Here is the psychological machinery that keeps impostor syndrome running:

• The tendency to discount one's intelligence, abilities, commitment, experience, skills, and natural talents

• There is a propensity to internalize failure and attribute success to external influences like luck, help from others, accident, or random chance

• Falling into comparison traps—comparing their weaknesses to others’ visible strengths, leading to distorted self-perception

• The tendency to over-generalize mistakes as evidence of fundamental incompetence

• Engaging in harsh self-criticism devoid of constructive feedback

• Setting virtually unattainable standards and goals

The Upside to Impostor Syndrome

You might be thinking as you read this: "But my high standards motivate me, and I don't want to lose that edge. They're what make me successful."

This is completely valid.

There's no need to eliminate something that genuinely helps you thrive. However, it's worth examining the nuances of your relationship with achievement:

Are your high expectations primarily self-imposed, with others holding you to far more reasonable standards? 

Does your success depend on harsh self-criticism and obsessive rumination over past failures?

If you notice that your motivation stems from an inner critic that selectively filters information and struggles with reality testing, some adjustments might be beneficial. 

Think of your self-criticism as a protective strategy that shields you from potential disappointment or perceived danger by keeping you perpetually vigilant. This strategy has served you in many ways, helping you achieve and excel.

The goal isn't to dismantle this protective system entirely. Rather, it's to expand your psychological repertoire, giving you a broader range of responses to life's challenges and opportunities. 

By developing other strategies, you can maintain your drive for excellence while reducing the emotional toll of self-flagellation.

A Caveat

Sometimes, the challenge itself is genuinely difficult. Impostor syndrome typically refers to insecurity that's disproportionate to your actual experience, skill level, or performance. 

But what if your insecurity is, in fact, appropriate? 

Your brain may have correctly assessed that you're facing a genuinely challenging task—one that even people with decades of experience haven't fully mastered. In such situations, it isn't a syndrome at all. There's no psychological trick to overcome. If you didn't feel some degree of insecurity when facing truly difficult challenges, that might actually be closer to delusion than confidence.

It's also worth noting that in some contexts, feelings of fraudulence may reflect legitimate external realities rather than internal psychological patterns. When you experience self-doubt, consider whether it might be a normal response to systemic factors like social stereotypes, racism, sexism, or workplace bias. In these cases, the issue isn't your competence or intelligence, but rather the inequitable system in which you're operating.

3 Mindset Shifts 

1. No one knows everything all the time. Impostor syndrome often makes us feel like we need to have all the answers right away. Instead of seeing gaps in your knowledge as proof that you’re not good enough, recognize them as opportunities to learn and grow. That’s exciting! It means you found a growth edge and are on the verge of expanding your skills and leveling up. Henry Ford once said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” 

2. True incompetence doesn’t question itself. The fact that you feel like an impostor is proof that you are the capable person you think you're not. If you had no self-awareness you wouldn’t feel like a fraud when things are challenging or new. View imposter syndrome as evidence of growth and development.  

3. “They also just cook with water.” This German proverb means that even experienced people are just human—they don’t have some magical advantage. They started somewhere. They make mistakes, they learn, and they grow, just like you. Comparing yourself to someone who has been at it for years is like comparing your rough draft to their polished final manuscript—it’s not a fair comparison.

4 Practical Strategies 

1. Truly Take in Compliments – In Own Your Greatness (2020), Drs. Lisa and Richard Orbé-Austin describe the Cycle of Impostor Syndrome—where self-doubt leads to overwork and overpreparing, which leads to short-term relief, but then the cycle starts over. The cycle continues because the person fails to recognize and internalize their own hard work and abilities. 

Instead of brushing off praise, learn to truly absorb it. When someone acknowledges your work or abilities, resist the automatic urge to deflect or minimize their feedback. Take a moment to pause, make eye contact, and say "thank you." Notice if you feel discomfort at this moment—that sensation often signals you're challenging an impostor belief. Then allow the good feelings to also be present. Even small victories deserve recognition. 

2. Keep a Success Journal – Try creating a "compliment file" where you deliberately document your accomplishments and positive feedback. Be specific in your entries: Write down the compliment your partner gave you, the thoughtful advice you shared with a friend, or the guidance you provided that helped someone improve. Note when a neighbor thanked you for organizing something or when you successfully navigated a conflict.

Include exact quotes from performance reviews, encouraging emails from colleagues, or positive feedback from clients. The more detailed you are, the more powerful your journal becomes as a reminder of your true impact.

Later, revisit these moments. Ask yourself: "What if this person is right about me?" Consider what it would mean to fully accept their perspective as truth. 

This practice gradually rewires your brain to internalize external validation rather than rejecting it. Write down accomplishments and positive feedback. Over time, this creates solid proof of your growth and abilities, making it harder for self-doubt to take over.

3. Stop the Rumination Spiral - Obsessing over past failures creates a distorted lens through which you view yourself and your capabilities. When caught in this cycle, you're unable to see reality clearly. Read this to help pull you out of these unproductive thought patterns.

4. Working With The Garage Door Open - This concept plays on the familiar image of tech founders and innovators building their startups in private garages. But instead of working behind closed doors, you deliberately open up and invite others to witness your process—both the progress and the struggles.

When you share your journey—the missteps, the questions, the incremental wins—something remarkable happens. People don't see your vulnerability as a weakness; they see it as courage. The truth is that others want to support you. We're naturally drawn to people who are genuinely trying something challenging—we find their efforts inspiring, not foolish.

If you're feeling like an impostor, reach out to someone you trust: "I think I'm at a growth edge because I'm feeling a bit inadequate. Could I come to you when I'm experiencing these thoughts, and we can figure it out together?"

Resources for your emotional & mental toolkit - including articles, strategies, techniques, frameworks, videos, people to check out, and links.

Emotion Mapping
Emotion mapping is a powerful exercise that helps you develop greater emotional awareness by connecting your feelings to physical sensations in your body. Using different colors for different emotions, shade the areas of your body drawing where you experience each feeling. Over time, this practice helps you recognize emotional patterns before they overwhelm you. By identifying the physical sensations that accompany specific emotions, you develop an early warning system for your feelings, allowing you to respond more thoughtfully rather than react automatically.

How to Get Over Someone
The School of Life's video "How to Get Over Someone" offers a refreshingly philosophical approach to healing from heartbreak. Rather than providing generic advice about time healing all wounds, this thoughtful exploration delves into why certain relationships affect us so deeply and how to process loss constructively.

Letter of Love to Yourself
A self-love letter is a personal message you write to yourself from a perspective of unconditional acceptance and kindness. This practice is particularly powerful because writing engages different neural pathways than thinking. By physically documenting self-compassionate thoughts, you create a more lasting impression on your mind than through reflection alone.

“Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”

Peter Gay

While often attributed to Voltaire, the quote was crafted by Peter Gay who was presenting his interpretation of the central thesis of Voltaire’s story “Candide”.