by Clarissa Hartley

Impostor syndrome. This term rings a bell in most ears, doesn’t it? It’s an uneasy sentiment that dogs even the highest flying overachievers, gnawing at their confidence with a tormenting consistency. This shadowy figure of self-doubt can make luminaries like Albert Einstein feel fraudulent, despite their world-renowned recognition. The irony? More often than not, those feeling fraudulent are far from being the true impostors.

Impostor syndrome feeds off a deep-seated doubt that your accomplishments are undeserved, you’re not qualified enough, and your achievements are a sheer roulette of chances rather than a result of your talents. You question your capacities, fearing exposure for the fraud you convincingly believe you are. Question is, why?
This paradoxical self-doubt is particularly explainable by the ‘Dunning-Kruger effect.’ When you immerse yourself in a new endeavor, your acquaintance with the subject and its nuances is minimal. That initial lack of insight doesn’t let you see how inadequate you might be in it, perhaps making you consider yourself reasonably proficient. However, as you delve deeper, acquiring knowledge and honing the skills, you discern the vast scope of the subject—realizing how far you are from being a true expert. This gap between your present understanding and the perceived profound knowledge plays mind tricks, making you feel like an impostor.
Your story may ascertain that you’ve reached certain heights in your journey, but that nagging sentiment of potential failure induces a considerable portion of stress and impairs your wellness. You might fret over the fear of losing what you’ve achieved. You put extra work, sacrifice your comfort zone, dodge celebrations of your victories while shouldering an unnecessary load of guilt. This self-doubt can curtail your initiative, forcing you to limit your scope of opportunities, thereby forfeiting great chances that might be grabbed by those arguably less qualified.
Stuart Travis, a record-breaking cyclist grapples with such a mindset, unable to celebrate his spectacular achievements. He finds it hard to identify himself as a cyclist, attributing his accomplishments to fluke instead of acknowledging his own capabilities.
Understanding the roots of Impostor Syndrome often lead one back to one’s childhood. Growing up in an achievement-oriented environment can skew the perception of self-worth. Family impressions like ‘the smart one’ or ‘the athletic one’ can restrict self-image, leading to self-doubt when exploring outside those fashioned identities.
BBC sports reporter Simon Mundie shares his struggle with impostor syndrome. Being a sports reporter who didn’t support any specific team made him feel out of place. But eventually, he embraced his unique approach and overcame his fears, echoing the sentiment that authenticity and acceptance of your traits and perspective can shatter the specter of self-doubt.
So does the key to keep impostor syndrome at bay lie in boosting confidence? Absolutely! Confidence is the vaccine that nurtures resilience and mental toughness, helping one overcome this syndrome. High self-confidence nurtures the focus on success rather than the avoidance of failure, effectively pushing back against those worries of being discovered as a fraud. When achieved, we not only accept recognition but also learn to relish our achievements, diluting the unwarranted underpinning of impostor syndrome.
Remember, your journey is evidence of your abilities, not luck. Seek growth, not perfection. You are no impostor.
Impostor syndrome, self-doubt, Dunning-Kruger effect, Stuart Travis, Simon Mundie, confidence, mental toughness, resilience, wellness, achievements