Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon, is a psychological pattern that many people around the world experience without being aware of it. It refers to an internal experience and individual can have where they feel as if they aren’t as competent and people around them think they are.
That is how the name itself, impostor syndrome, came to be because people who suffer from it feel like imposters and have a deep seethed fear of being found out as a fraud.
One of the biggest issues people who suffer from impostor syndrome have is that they believe they got everything they have through nothing but luck and that they don’t deserve anything they have in life.
This syndrome can affect anyone no matter their age, gender, background, or expertise. There are many different characteristics of impostor syndrome, and some of them are:
A feeling of self-doubt.
An inability to realistically observe your own skills and competence.
Constantly feeling like you won’t live up to someone’s expectations.
Attributing all of your successes and accomplishments to external factors.
Self-sabotaging your own success.
There are five different types of impostor syndrome
1 – The perfectionist1 – The perfectionist
Perfectionists always set impossibly high goals for themselves that are hard to achieve. And if they don’t achieve those goals, they go through a lot of self-doubts. This type of impostor syndrome can be found in people who often micromanage, have a hard time delegating, and have a great need to have everything be perfect at all times.
2 - The Superwoman/man
This type of impostor syndrome is found among people who think their colleagues are worthy of their positions but they themselves aren’t. The Superwoman or Superman impostor always works hard and pushes themselves to prove they’re good enough even though they don’t believe it themselves.
People who suffer from the superwoman/man syndrome often stay late in the office, don’t have a lot of hobbies outside of work, and feel stressed if they’re not working at all times.
3 – The natural genius
People who were very gifted and intelligent as children were made to feel like a natural genius at a very young age and this belief has stuck with them. Since a lot of things came naturally to them as children, in the adult world they feel shame if it takes time for them to master anything.
The natural genius imposters set an impossibly high internal bar for themselves and are only happy if they manage to achieve something as soon as they attempt it. If they’re faced with a setback at any time, their confidence tumbles, and they have a feeling of shame.
4 – The soloist
Soloists are people who believe that if they ask for help from anyone, they will be revealed as phonies, and that is why they refuse assistance from everyone just so they could prove their worth. They feel a strong need to accomplish things on their own.
5 – The expert.
The expert impostors believe their competence can be measured with what and how much they can do or know. However, they believe that all of their knowledge still isn’t enough and they gear they will be exposed as unknowledgeable.
They don’t agree if someone calls them an expert, they’re constantly seeking new trainings and certifications that will improve their skills, and no matter how much time passes, they never feel like they’re good enough to fill out the role they have.
Very nice interesting article. We should always practice to know ourselves more and more every day.