Impostor syndrome? What is that? Psychologists explain

Ever heard of the term impostor syndrome? Do you doubt yourself, feel like a fraud or downplay your achievements? Do you attribute success to luck or external factors and are constantly seeking validation from others? You just may have impostor syndrome.

It is a condition in which a person who, despite being a real achiever, consistently feels that whatever he/she has achieved, is not due to his/her abilities, but due to luck or external factors. It is a psychological experience of self-doubt in a person who feels he/she is a fraud, or a phony despite being successful or even excelling in the area concerned.

According to Professor Vimala Veeraraghavan, Emeritus Professor of Psychology & Education, at Apeejay Stya University, many people are perfectionists and believe that unless they are 100 per cent perfect, they are not as good as others perceive them to be.

“Many people are perfectionists and believe that unless they are 100 per cent perfect, they are not as good as others perceive them to be. They feel that they are impostors because their perfectionist traits make them believe so”

–Professor Vimala Veeraraghavan, Emeritus Professor of Psychology & Education, at Apeejay Stya University

“They feel that they are impostors because their perfectionist traits make them believe so. They also feel that they have to master a lot more and thus don’t believe that they have reached the rank of ‘expert’ and hence opine that they are impostors. People who think they are Impostors can’t really assess their competency, invariably berate their performance, sabotage their success, and set up unrealistic goals to achieve,” Professor Vimala explained.

She is also quick to point out that it is a global phenomenon and is seen more among women about their professional credentials or acumen. Research in this area has shown that while men readily apply for a job even though they may be only 60 per cent qualified for it, women apply only if they are 100 per cent certain of it and even then they have self-doubt.

“The syndrome occurs due to societal attitudes towards women. In an article by Anjali Nair in The Economic Times, 2022, social biases regarding women are so deep-rooted that even when others give them positive feedback, women tend to believe that such positive feedback is flawed and provided just for the sake of flattery,” Professor Vimala said.

Other causes that give rise to impostor syndrome include Families that constantly stress achievement and success; parents are overcritical and/ or overpraising of performance and that too inconsistently. In addition, there could be societal pressure to achieve more. In some cases, entering a new role or starting a new position at work, and certain personality traits like low self-esteem and social anxiety could all be causes of impostor syndrome.

Signs and symptoms of impostor syndrome

1. The person may constantly behave doubting his/her performance, success, skill, and abilities.
2. They will show a tendency to constantly under-rate and undervalue their contributions and success and thereby destroy and sabotage their successes, while at the same time living in constant fear that they may not be living or doing things according to expectations.
3. Because of this constant striving and working to reach unreachable levels and standards many of them do suffer from burnout syndrome.

• When the person finds himself questioning his/her capabilities, it is helpful to spend time with friends who will provide honest and positive feedback and remind them of their strengths, qualities, achievements, and recognitions,” Professor Vimala said and shared a few strategies that can help.
• The person should balance his/her time and manage their time and energy in more meaningful pursuits rather than thinking of all negative things about self.
• They should relax, recharge and reset their goals.
• Track their progress so that the negative feedback which minimises achievements can be counteracted or neutralised.

“It must be remembered that impostor syndrome is based on one’s emotions. Hence another strategy is to squarely face the emotions; name these emotions, face them, question them and find the reason for such feelings. It is important to be truthful to oneself to overcome impostor syndrome,” Professor Vimala said and added that consulting a psychologist helps.

“It must also be kept in mind that persons who experience impostor feelings are unaware that they can live without these feelings as well,” she said.

Dr Sanjay Chugh, a neuropsychiatrist in Delhi, impostor syndrome is all about low self-confidence and self-esteem and negative self-concept and self-image. “Take an example. If a person has been assigned a task, he/she does it successfully. But suddenly, they realise that they did nothing to contribute to its successful completion. So, instead of feeling good or happy at accomplishing the work, the response is negative and the feeling ‘what if I’m not so lucky the next time’ creeps in. This is the beginning of the imposter syndrome,” Dr Chugh explained.

The danger of this feeling is that even though you have the potential to reach great highs, you end up being an underachiever working at a sub-optimal level because you do not feel that you can deliver anything meaningful, Dr Chugh opined.

The fallout of impostor syndrome

Mental and emotional well-being: Impostor syndrome often leads to chronic self-doubt, anxiety, and stress. Individuals may constantly worry about being exposed to fraud, leading to persistent feelings of inadequacy and fear of failure.

Perfectionism and procrastination: People experiencing impostor syndrome may feel intense pressure to meet exceedingly high standards and expectations. This can result in excessive self-criticism and a tendency to procrastinate tasks, fearing that they won’t meet their own impossibly high standards.

Professional development: Individuals may be reluctant to pursue new opportunities, take on leadership roles, or share their ideas and expertise, fearing that they will be exposed as frauds.

Relationships and networking: Individuals may struggle to form genuine connections and collaborations, as they may believe that they don’t deserve recognition or praise from others.

Work satisfaction and productivity: The constant self-doubt and fear associated with impostor syndrome can undermine work satisfaction and productivity.