What Is Imposter Syndrome? 7 Signs That You Suffer From It
Do you feel that you are not up to par and that you are not enough even if you lead a successful life? Maybe you suffer from Imposter Syndrome. Discover what it is, its causes and what characteristics it has.
Are you one of those who have a university degree, more than a master’s degree and you still think that you don’t know enough or that you are not up to the task of being able to work in what you have specialized in? If you feel this way, it is very possible that you will suffer from Imposter Syndrome
He Imposter Syndrome It is not a proven or officially recognized psychological disorder, but it is beginning to be considered as a syndrome in itself that goes beyond low self-esteem or high perfectionism. The difference between syndrome and disorder is precisely that one is accepted as a psychological illness and the other is simply a trait that indicates a deficiency in your mental health or well-being. Therefore, imposter syndrome indicates that you are really having a psychological problem.
He impostor syndrome It is based on the belief that the achievements achieved at the work level are a succession of coincidences or good luck. You always feel like a fraud, like you don’t deserve what you have or have achieved in life. You believe that you are incompetent even though the results are those of a competent person and you reject evidence that achievements are achieved on your own merit. You are such a demanding person with yourself that your list of requirements to consider yourself a successful person is very high, so much so that it is almost impossible to achieve them one day.
In many cases this syndrome has its cause in childhood. They tend to be children who have grown up in an environment where success is not recognized. Children who are not positively reinforced when they achieve success and are required to achieve more goals regardless of those they have previously achieved. It may also happen that they have grown up in an environment of very successful parents in which one feels that they will not be able to live up to them (although they do not demand anything from them, they feel the pressure to be at the same level). Other times it appears as a response to a feeling of competition with siblings. One may feel like the black sheep because one’s brother or sister is smarter, gets better grades, or is more successful.
Who has the Imposter Syndrome grows up with constant academic suffering. Even if they get good grades, every time they finish an exam they feel that they have done badly and will fail. They do not learn from experience by seeing that they have passed or even that they have gotten very good grades. They always have the same fear of tests.
Types of imposter syndrome
People may present certain symptoms that indicate the presence of the impostor syndrome In fact, in most cases of this syndrome there is a high probability of suffering from depression and anxiety at the same time. So much so that according to experts there are five different types of profiles within this syndrome:
Perfectionists: People can suffer imposter syndrome because they are people with a tendency toward excessive perfectionism. Therefore, in this type of importer syndrome, those who suffer from it usually experience a lot of fear of failing or of being criticized in front of others.
Superheros: They are people who develop a tendency to try to do everything, that is, to take on multiple tasks and help everyone who asks them. Furthermore, people with this type of impostor syndrome They tend to have a negative view of themselves since they feel incompetent and see others as good workers.
Experts: They have a tendency to constantly measure their competencies based on how much they know. So much so that even though they spend a lot of time learning about a topic, they never believe they know enough.
Geniuses: Some people who suffer imposter syndrome They believe that they should have more natural facilities and measure their competence based on the ease with which they can achieve things. In fact, they may be used to doing their tasks without having to work very hard for it. Even so, these people are afraid of not being ‘up to the task’ of new challenges and therefore tend to avoid them.
Soloists: In this case of imposter syndrome, people who suffer from it prefer to work alone, in addition to rejecting working in collaboration with others. So much so that they may consider asking for help to be a weakness or a sign of inadequacy.
When a person suffers from impostor syndrome In many cases it has quite recognizable ‘symptoms’. Mainly psychologists have identified the following signs of this psychological phenomenon.
Doubts about your abilities: The imposter feels that their abilities or everything they achieve is thanks to factors of good luck. You pass because you were lucky, you get a good job because of luck, you get promoted thanks to good luck, etc. In this way he does not validate his virtues and focuses much more on his defects even though they tend to be very good men or women.
Low expectations of the result: Despite experience saying otherwise, people who suffer from impostor syndrome They think that the result obtained will be bad. Not only will it not be excellent, but it will be insufficient.
Lack of trust: By not valuing the achievements achieved, those who suffer from impostor syndrome Their own abilities are not reinforced and therefore, they do not trust themselves. The phrases: “I will not be able” either “I won’t make it” They are common.
Low self-esteem: They are people who have a very negative self-concept and feel little capable of anything. The lack of self-confidence and not valuing achievements causes poor self-esteem to be built when one has the so-called imposter syndrome or imposter syndrome
Fear to fail: It must be clarified that those who have this impostor syndrome small mistakes or even lack of speed, insight, etc. feel like failure.
Constant comparison with others: They focus on the qualities that others have that they do not have. They always look at the qualities that stand out in others without seeing the whole person and when they make the comparison they do not value their virtues but only the defects.
Fear of being discovered: The people that have imposter syndrome They suffer from the so-called fall of the imposter where they feel that at some point or another someone will discover them and know that they are not worth their position. These characteristics make the person live in constant fear that at any moment it will be discovered that they are not worthy of the successes they have and they will be fired from work, not get a job, etc.
If you feel identified with each of these symptoms of imposter syndrome It is very likely that you have it. In these cases it is vital to work on it and try to regain this lost trust. A professional psychologist can help you with this.
Do you have imposter syndrome? Test
If you feel identified with many of the signs of imposter syndrome you can take this questionnaire to evaluate if you are really suffering from it:
Do you ever feel like you don’t deserve your achievements?
Do you ever worry that people will find out that you are not enough?
After a success, do you discard it because you think it was good luck?
Do you think you have fooled others into believing you are more successful than you really are?
Do you think others overvalue your success?
If you answered yes to more than two of these questions, it is very possible that you are experiencing imposter syndrome
Psychological consequences of Imposter Syndrome
He impostor syndrome It can have a series of consequences for the mental well-being of the person who suffers from it. Some of them may involve the following.
Conformists: Although in most cases those who have the impostor syndrome They have many powers, they make do with what they have and do not ask for promotions or change jobs. In this way, they seem like conformist people but in reality they do not do it for fear of failure or because they do not feel worthy of change.
Lack of trust: They are people who work below their potential. Self-confidence makes one exploit one’s own abilities and by lacking it, the impostor They work at a level that is not what they have, they postpone tasks to avoid facing them and they do what they think they can do, that is, less than what they can.
They demand too much: Other times they demand so much of themselves that they always work hard, more than they should, they are not able to disconnect from work and they always feel that what they do is not enough. On many occasions the impostor syndrome It is related to an excess of unattainable perfectionism.
Anxiety and stress: People who have impostor syndrome usually live with a anxiety and stress which can affect other areas of their lives: social and family relationships, relationship problems, insomnia problems, etc.
Lack of selfesteem: It is often difficult for them to accept a compliment. They usually make excuses, reject it or respond by complimenting the other person by starting the sentence with “you sure do…”. So much so that he has a lack of self-esteem as a result of this impostor syndrome
These may be some of the causes of imposter syndrome that can affect our mental well-being. Seeing all these consequences you can see that it is vital to try to work on it or even consult with a professional psychologist.
How to overcome Imposter Syndrome?
There are a series of tips or exercises that you can do if you feel that you have the impostor syndrome Although they are useful to try to overcome it, it is always advisable to go to a mental health professional.
Share your feelings: Talking to others about your feeling of inferiority can make you really visualize the problem behind imposter syndrome or imposter syndrome By talking about it you can get to know why you feel this way.
Use self-knowledge: Sometimes we see ourselves incapable of certain things since we do not have a good self-knowledge of ourselves. A good way to know ourselves is by evaluating our qualities and defects. If you write down what they are, you will most likely realize that you really have enough skills to do your job.
Take small steps towards your goals: Typically, people who suffer from impostor syndrome It is very likely that you are a very perfectionist person. In order to correct this attitude, you can try to do things little by little and in small steps to better visualize your successes.
Question your thoughts: In many cases the simposter syndrome It can make us see that we are constantly thinking negatively. In this way, we can correct this perception of ourselves through meditation or questioning our mental attitude.
Stop comparing yourself to others: Comparisons can be very damaging for anyone. So much so that to stop suffering from this impostor syndrome We must try to stop doing this type of attitude. Instead of comparing ourselves, we should try to improve our virtues and evaluate ourselves based on ourselves.
These may be some of the attitudes that we can carry out to face our perception as the impostor of the place. Visualizing that we are capable of our goals is one of the abilities that will make it easier for you to reach your goals or be able to face failures with a better perspective. Attitude is the key to personal and professional success.
