Self-doubt. Feeling unworthy of deserving that award, promotion, title. Or that you aren’t doing enough. That everything you’ve worked for was a result of pure luck, and not the skills or talents you possess. These feelings were given the name “Impostor Syndrome” by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978. The two officially described IS as the “internal experience of intellectual phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement.”
Although IS affects both men and women, women and minority groups are more susceptible to these persistent feelings of insecurity and unworthiness from the classroom to the workplace. In a society where mysogyny and discrimination are dominating forces, feeling like you don’t deserve your position in the world is growing more and more common everyday. Derogatory phrases that characterize actions as being done “like a girl” or echo the message “Go back where you came from!” are easily thrown around, and can heighten the effects of impostor syndrome.
The lack of female and minority representation in various industries is closely tied to the effects of IS – a pattern that begins with white, cis men excluding all others, resulting in a self-exclusion by women and minorities. In Hollywood, where most television shows and movies feature a white, male character as the protagonist, females of color grow up never seeing themselves portrayed. Hollywood essentially tells them that their story doesn’t matter, and even behind the cameras, women and minorities are largely underrepresented.
These patterns stretch over a variety of industries: in corporate settings, only 38% of women hold manager positions compared to 62% of men, and the women who do hold these positions are often questioning whether or not they deserve to be there. The impostor syndrome is not only made pertinent through being surrounded by a physical majority, it is also enhanced through toxic work environments and microaggressions – such as having “boys’ clubs” and giving male counterparts more meaningful responsibilities. The impostor syndrome thus substitutes the recognition of oppression and exclusion with a harmful blame and devaluation.
This struggle starts earlier than professional careers for many. The criticism of “affirmative action” policies, which take an individual’s minority status into consideration for competitive admission into elite universities, as “unfair,” has not only attempted to erase the reality of their oppression, but also led minorities to doubt their intellectual abilities and try to overwork themselves in an attempt to prove their abilities. In terms of gender, the reality is that women earn more degrees than men and outperform men in school, but still end up earning less than men as well as assume less leadership positions than men. From questioning whether they actually deserve to be in a certain institution to whether they have enough skills to apply for a certain job, women, especially minority women, have been indoctrinated by the results of systemic racism and sexism.
Dealing with impostor syndrome can often be easier said than done—especially in a world in which IS is being continually reinforced by external factors. Opening up to others and surrounding yourself with people that have similar or shared experiences can erase feelings of isolation and insecurity. The unfortunate reality is that IS is extremely common, but this can help create a global community of solidarity. Even Michelle Obama still struggles with IS. She tells us, “My advice to young women is that you have to start by getting those demons out of your head” because ultimately, “Here is the secret […] I have been at probably every powerful table that you can think of…they are not that smart.” In our insecurity, we often amplify our male counterparts as being so much stronger and smarter and warp the reality of the dynamic: which is that we are equally, if not more, prepared and intelligent.
There are additionally many concrete ways in combating impostor syndrome. Keeping a journal that logs accomplishments, whether large or small, can help serve as a reminder for what you’ve done. It can also serve as a record to look back on during times of severe self-doubt. You can also try creating a script that reacts to different scenarios – so you can prepare yourself to do things such as ask for a raise, even when your self-worth is questioned. Write down ways you can speak up to create more welcoming environments between you and your male counterparts and practice saying them out loud, until they become a fluent part of your vernacular.
While it is important that we try to overcome our impostor syndrome, it is equally important that we do not deny its existence. In recognizing our impostor syndrome, we can understand its role in stemming our confidence and the context of the factors that cause it. Ultimately, when impostor syndrome creeps up in our mindsets, we should be able to accept those feelings but learn how to move on from them and uncover and embrace our abundance of skills and abilities.
