Imposter Syndrome is not a physical ailment that can send you to the hospital, but it is a very real phenomena that millions of people struggle with, including top people in nearly every field. So, what is imposter syndrome?

To put it simply, it is the feeling that you are not good enough to be doing what it is you are doing. For example, as a writer, I feel like despite the fact that I have written thousands of articles and other content for over a decade, I often don’t consider myself a ‘real writer.’

In my head I tell myself that I’m not a real writer because I don’t publish books or I’m not involved with writing papers that get published in prestigious journals.

Nope, I’m just a lowly freelance writer who has written untold millions of words that have been published online and undoubtedly read by a massive number of people over the years (sometimes in my own name, other times not). Companies continue to hire me year after year and I have managed to dramatically improve my life with the money I’ve made as a freelance writer.

But, you know…I’m not a real writer, right?

Yup, that’s imposter syndrome.

I recognize it, but it doesn’t change the fact that I sometimes have to tell myself to just shut up and keep writing because whether I’m a ‘real writer’ or not, I’m getting paid to do something I mostly enjoy, and that is a good thing.

I also remind myself that I’m in good company. There is a story about this specific topic where an author was at a party with some very impressive people including other authors, top artists, scientists, and many others. While there, he commented that he thought:

“I felt that at any moment they would realize that I didn’t qualify to be there.”

Then, he ran into another person at the party and started to talk to him. He recalled the interaction with this gentleman:

“he pointed to the hall of people, and said words to the effect of, ‘I just look at all these people, and I think, what the heck am I doing here? They’ve made amazing things. I just went where I was sent.’”

Who was this man? None other than Neil Armstrong. So yes, the first man to walk on the moon suffered from imposter syndrome.

A new study from Denmark that was published in Nature Communications found that while anyone can experience imposter syndrome, your mental health has a huge impact on it. Sucharit Katyal is a postdoc at the Department of Psychology at the University of Copenhagen said in a statement:

“People with anxiety and depression tend to exhibit persistent under confidence, as we call it. Their skewed judgement of their own abilities can lead them to avoid new tasks, even when they can do them.”

For many people, imposter syndrome does indeed cause them to avoid trying new things. Others, however, find that it pushes them to work harder. When they feel like they are the only unqualified person in the room, they study harder, research more, and practice to get better. Not surprisingly, this often pays off with a promotion or being given additional responsibilities.

When promoted, they once again feel like they are underqualified for the new role, so they have to work harder than everyone else to hide the fact that they don’t really belong.

So, whether imposter syndrome is a blessing or a curse (and honestly, even when it does push someone to greater success, it doesn’t feel like a blessing), it has a major impact on the lives of millions of people.

Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome?

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