Syndrome even the stars suffer

Have you ever felt like a fraud at work? It’s thought that imposter syndrome — a feeling of professional incompetence — affects up to 80 per cent of adults. Though it’s often high achievers, and women, who feel it most.

The term “imposter phenomenon” was coined by psychologists in the 1970s to explain the unrelenting sense of doubt — intellectual fraud that people feel despite their skills and achievements, and the high esteem in which they are held. While not formally recognised as a clinical or psychiatric condition, imposter syndrome is real. And you don’t need to dig very far to find it lurking in the subconscious realms of the psyche.

Imposter syndrome can be defined by three characteristics. Firstly, you feel that other people have an overly high perception of your abilities. Second, you fear that your true skills, which you perceive as suboptimal, will be discovered. And lastly, any kind of success you have is often attributed to other people, external conditions, or sheer luck.

Imposter syndrome makes us lose sight of our true self and worth, and reinforces unrealistic expectations of ourselves. It's an insidious little bugger — I know.

Five years ago, I received what many would consider to be a prestigious business award. It was an honour to be nominated and a surreal experience, too. As I walked on stage and shook hands with the presenter, a sea of people clapped in praise.

I had an out-of-body experience at that moment. It was as though I was looking at myself, from outside of myself. And I couldn’t help but think, “my God, what if they really find out that I’m a fraud?” It’s not like I hadn’t done the work, or wasn't deserving, to get to that point. I had. But imposterism bites real hard at times.

English comedian, writer and broadcaster, Robin Ince has described himself as having a “vibrant imposter syndrome” that has run throughout his life. It most often rears its head at times when he’s draped in regalia and being handed a certificate — I can relate.

Actor Jodi Foster often feared having her Oscars taken away, thinking they kept giving them to the wrong person. And despite her success, global pop sensation Lady Gaga, who has too many achievements to name, repeatedly feels like “a loser kid from high school”.

It’s important to remember that external perceptions of success never create our internal sense of worth. That’s where the inner work comes in. It’s not until you dive deep into the shadows of the inner world that you can uproot the psychological causes of intellectual fraudulence — generally it’s connected to a fear of abandonment, rejection, neglect or social exile, at the extreme.

It’s a survival instinct and protective mechanism. But the wild beast within — the inner critic — needs to be tempered and tamed. Because low self-worth is destructive to the psyche, and when drenched in toxicity, it becomes parasitic to the self. Turning against one’s self creates false narratives and ill-truths. And it’s a key factor contributing to stress, burnout, depression and anxiety for many people.

The imposter needs to be heard and understood to be transformed. A couple of ways to do that are through psychotherapy and becoming a compassionate witness of thyself. Knowing and playing to your strengths, and setting realistic goals helps, too.

And it’s a good idea to clarify expectations of your work with peers and supervisors. Finally, quit stumbling into the comparison trap — that never does anyone, any good. As a dear friend reminded me this week, “perfection doesn’t exist and failure isn’t fatal”. She’s right.

This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 9 July 2022.