It strikes without warning. The more one cares about grades and achievements, the more likely they are to be overcome by it. Famous? Overachiever? Fancy scientist? It takes no pity. The Imposter Syndrome name was officially coined in 1970’s when Dr. Suzanne Imes and Dr. Pauline Rose Clance identified the phenomenon. They realized that “certain overachievers could not acknowledge their accomplishments by crediting themselves. Many of those with imposter syndrome claimed their success was because of chance rather than their own hard work and talent” (Gasalberti, 2014). In the past forty years, famous people, such as Emma Watson and Kate Winslet have admitted to struggling with this “imposter” (Sanghani, 2015). Although it is a recently discovered phenomenon, it has been present for as long as we know. Scientists are also a large group of people that struggle with that voice inside their head. Since scientists are constantly developing research and publishing results, they are also constantly being rejected from journals or from a necessary grant proposal (Woolston, 2016). Psychologists are also largely involved with the “imposter syndrome”. Without Doctors such as Dr. Suzanne Imes and Dr. Pauline Rose Clance, the imposter syndrome would remain as a voice inside multiple people’s heads, and without anyone knowing it existed. Lastly, it is not necessary to be a scientist, or even famous to struggle with imposter syndrome. For those who are overachieving, especially those pushed by parents and peers, or those in minorities, imposter syndrome can easily creep into the back of one’s thoughts and grow.
Famous celebrities are always in the limelight, and always appear to have their life, and thoughts together, however, that is not always the case. Being in the limelight can actually cause greater stress on being “perfect” and not feeling adequate enough in accomplishments. Women especially are a target for Imposter Syndrome. This comes from a lack of confidence in their positions. It often occurs when “women feel like people have overestimated them, and that they’d only got far because of their luck not their skills.” Maya Angelou stated “ I have written eleven books but each time I think ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now, I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out’”. Tina Fey has admitted that Imposter syndrome for her alternates between egomania and thoughts of fraud. She says that when the egomania comes she tries her best to enjoy it while it lasts. Renee Zellweger is yet another famous woman who struggles with thoughts of incompetence. She said she used to wake up at night thinking: “They gave me this role; don’t they know I’m faking it?” This is an Oscar winning actress who doesn’t believe she’s good enough. Some people find this hard to believe, that those with large amounts of success could ever question their abilities, however, those are the people who struggle with imposter syndrome the most. (Sanghani, 2015)
Scientists are practically their own community throughout the world, connected through their love of science. With that love, come constant research and experiments, and then developing their results into something useful and interesting. Since scientists are a fairly large community, they are often rejected for grants, publishing, or even just a bad experiment. Moses Milazzo, a planetary scientist with the Astrogeology Science Center “thinks that imposter syndrome is nearly universal among scientists—at least among those who are self-aware enough to realize that they don’t know everything.” He goes farther into the article saying that he never truly has confidence in his grant proposals; he never expects them to actually be accepted. Even some famous scientists such as John Steinbeck struggled with this syndrome. Steinbeck stated “I am assailed by my own ignorance and inability… sometimes, I seem to do a good little piece of work, but when it is done it slides into mediocrity.” Scientists are constantly comparing themselves and their work to others around them, negating their own work because of the greatness of another’s. As these researchers grow in their schooling, they go from being top of the class to average, and that realization alone downgrades their self-worth in their minds. “Researchers who struggle with the syndrome have to learn how to tune out feelings of inadequacy and develop a more realistic view of their abilities and their value.” This is the only real “cure” to imposter syndrome. Those who realize they have it, and want to fight it, have to find, and be reminded of their value and self-worth. (Woolston, 2016)
The term “Imposter Syndrome” almost seems made up; it doesn’t seem real. How could something to simply affect so many? What about those who are underachievers, why don’t they struggle? Without psychologists, we wouldn’t have much insight to these questions. The two Doctors, who coined the term, are two women who have struggled with it themselves. They say, “Although it has not damaged their careers, both admit they haven’t published as many papers as some of their male counterparts.” Both admit to overanalyzing their own papers, even down to the smallest comma, before they are willing to submit one. “Their need for perfectionism is a hallmark of feeling like an imposter”. They have found that childhood experiences typically begin the cycle, and it festers from there. Those who are born into a family where they are often valued for their intelligence struggle when they receive a grade that is not as high as expected for their effort. Imposter syndrome wasn’t even “discovered” until the 1970’s because many psychologists didn’t believe it to be real. Thanks to Clance and Imes, it has become obvious that self-doubt can lead to questioning ones self in anything and everything they do, and lead them to believe that they don’t belong in any type of league of excellence. (Kaplan, 2009)
Lastly, famous people, genius scientists, and psychologists aren’t the only ones who come into contact with “Imposter Syndrome”. It can strike down anyone. Imposter syndrome can prevent (normal) people from public speaking publicly with authority; even at small events such as a work meeting, this happens even when one is knowledgeable in a field. A large amount of students, in any field struggle with imposter syndrome, because the jump from high school to college is a large one. Going from the top of the class to mediocre is a huge blow to one’s ego, and can be detrimental to one’s mental health. Moving into the working world, the need for perfectionism can cause imposter syndrome to arise. Whether it involves being a perfect wife, or giving the perfect presentation, the need for perfection is detrimental. In reality, perfectionism is unattainable, therefore, causing more stress to those who strive for it.
Whether an overachiever, underachiever, or somewhere in the middle, beware of the Imposter Syndrome. That voice in the back of the brain can be dangerous and lead to disturbing thoughts. It can also cause a stressful life, and one that you can never be fully comfortable in.
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