1344 Comments (page 4)

Wow. I never knew this was a thing. I'm glad I found this article. And yes, this is a HUGE help!

Wow! This post saved me! Thank you for your sharing! It's only people who experienced it who can write out such advice that points directly to the heart of problems.

I'm an online grad student that lives overseas, has never met my professors, and almost always shakes out a perfect mark on all my assignments. I started wondering why? Grad school isn't supposed to be this easy! I have a full time job, a family, hobbies, and rarely have to spend any time studying the course material. Grad students are supposed to be chronically tired and studying 24/7! Is my degree all just a big hoax? Am I sliding through this degree only to get kicked in the teeth when I get a job in my new field? And these questions really bogged me down when a friend recently offered me a job to work at a university as a researcher...I thought, there is no way I can do what they are asking without them finding out I know nothing. With encouragement from my family and friends I still went for it and have come out the other side feeling a little less like an impostor, but I still can't shake the entire feeling of being a fake. Pretty sure it will always be there to some degree, but you just have to push it out of the way and get on with things. Support from family and friends has definitely been the one thing that has done the most to help me.

I didn't know impostor syndrome was a thing until I heard it in the dialogue of a TV show last night. I have been suffering in silence for several years, never sharing my feelings with anyone for fear of their reactions. I'm still taking it all in, but hope that reading this and other articles about it will help me to overcome. Thanks.

I havent always had trouble sleeping at night, so here I am at 4am trying to identify the issue. I think it started in grad school. Almost instantly, I was making the highest grades and receiving great accolades for my research. Both of which shocked me. I found myself constantly thinking "how have I duped so many people into thinking that I know what I am doing??" At the time, this sentiment was constructive to some degree....a motivating force. I was terrified at the idea of letting people down (now that they all thought I was so great), so I pushed myself to continually achieve. Sleeplessness during that time in my life was l, I thought, just part of the job. Getting a PhD is supposed to be hard, right? But here I am, an assistant professor in a very low-stress, low-expectation position, and I wake up every night with unyielding thoughts of my failures from the previous day. I will replay every conversation that I had and analyze it for mistakes...anything from mispronouncing a word to not knowing an answer. It is clear to me know that this pressure is entirely endogenous. Everyone is happy with my performance, except me. So what is going on? Am I punishing myself because I feel like I need to keep up the facade? I have never heard of imposter syndrome. I first saw the term in an article about the high rate of mental illness in university faculty. I googled the term and found your piece. So much of what you say here resonates with me. I always thought that my low self-esteem coupled with high expectations was a good thing...it makes me work harder and longer...it makes the accolades that much sweeter...but I think it's teaching me to hate myself. In reading your post, I think I am uncovering the tip of an iceberg, and I can feel myself starting to let go. You have genuinely helped me and I really can't thank you enough.

Getting out if a job I love in a bad environment, and avoiding connecting with good people.

I don't enter art comps because I don't think I have any chance of being selected let alone winning... well... to combat that I'm entering the adelaide parklands art prize. I still don't think I have any chance but doing it anyway.

Thanks so much for this blog...it made me laugh and feel much happier when I was otherwise spiraling into a "i'm a fraud" episode. Imposter Syndrome is so common in academia and one thing that I have found helpful was suggested by my psychologist when I was finishing my PhD: that is to write a sentence about something you are proud of about yourself, on a piece of paper in BIG writing and stick that on the wall above you laptop. It worked wonders for me because I constantly reminded myself of my own achievements. I guess the only thing is that now I'm sitting in an office where others can see it and I took it down because I didn't want to be perceived as arrogant! Nonetheless perhaps I'll just keep it in a notebook next to my laptop...hey it works! I can be profoundly shy in meetings and not say anything...sometimes this is because I need time to think over things and finally know how to respond way after the meeting...I just hardly ever go find the person and offer my opinion later!

Thanks for sharing this Annette. That's a great idea! I just scanned through your work, really really interesting stuff. I'm looking forward to going back and digging in :)

Do you have any words of wisdom for someone who is 54 and has to acknowledge age-related cognitive decline? I want to change my career from technical graphic arts to technical writing and perhaps some web programming. I have a great resume (4 year business and 2 year (obsolete) programming), and decent skills, but as I told my sister: "Past performance is different than current ability." I don't learn like I used to. ...Talk about making one feel like an imposter...

I am fighting "imposter syndrome" and feel like I am failing. This helped. Knowing someone else gets it. I am still convinced that someone made a mistake giving me my Juris Doctorate and now that I have failed the Bar 3 times, I am proving that. But, now I am wondering if I have been self fulfilling my negative prophecy by not believing in myself I've set myself up for failure. The quote by Maya Angelou spoke to me, she is one of my heroes.

I have been able to make a comfortable living for me and my husband (both in the same small handmade craft-related business full-time) for the past 5 years. I feel I have a lot to offer to others trying to "quit their day job" and earn a living running a small independent online business. I want to give workshops on how to run a small business online and earn a decent living from it. And I actually started writing a "manual" full of tips and advice and specific knowledge I have on the topic. However, half-way through writing it, I started feeling like I don't actually know what I'm talking about, that there are people who are way more knowledgeable on the topic, people who are more successful than me, people with MBA's or at least a business degree, or people who make more money than me from their business. I also think of the phrase "those who can't do, teach" a lot. Yes, it's true I'm looking for other ways to bring in an income because our sales have hit a slump. If our sales were through the roof, I wouldn't have the time or volition to give these imagery workshops. I worry that that's what people will think about me and my (yet to be) workshops. That I'm "failing" in my business and that's why I need to give workshops instead. These thoughts have been preventing me from finishing my manual and reaching out to people who I think can benefit from my help. I'm trying to push through this and get my workshops started next year. But I always think - "would people actually pay to hear me speak?" "Do I really have anything to say that they can't get off the internet for free?"

I have major impostor syndrome....fortunately, not attempting my dreams scares me worse than being outed as a big phony,... so I push hard. What it means though is that I lose a lot of sleep over invasive thoughts like "oh - another news article about my projects... I'm gonna be so embarrassed when this fails and everybody finds out that I'm just winging it all along".

I feel that I am unloved for who I am because I'm not a perfect person.

Rick, just go for it!!

I started a path to obtain a Bachelor's Degree at 38, did so well I continued on to get a Masters. I come from a world where no one is that successful. I still have yet to finish my thesis. I graduated with my B.S. Magna Cum Laude at 43. I have a 3.9 GPA in my Masters work. I always feel like I don't deserve it because, I don't really know. I've been a single mom all my life and I don't know how to accept my successes. Your article was interesting. I've never heard of imposter syndrome before. I hope it helpsme. ?

I haven't written the book that everyone tells me to write. Because I'm afraid to fail. I'm afraid that when I start it I will never finish it. I'm afraid people will think I'm lying about the events that took place in my life or things that I have accomplished. People will view me as thinking I'm better than them.

The second half of Lawrence's text, about running out of time along with the imposter syndrom - it is exactly my problem. Never before saw it written down. So good of Lawrence to make that comment here. I'll try your method too. Thank you, Kyle.

The first time I ever felt this, I was finishing my history thesis in college. I couldn't believe they were giving me a degree for reading books. "That's all school IS," The Husband kept telling me. "Reading and learning." I graduated with a 3.94 and barely believed they'd let me slide through. I didn't believe I deserved that piece of paper. I've written two young adult books and been to numerous writers conferences, but I haven't published anything yet. Someday. Someday...

Kyle, thanks for taking the time to share this (even though you did not think it was a good idea at first). I came across your website today for the first time. This morning I was laid off from my job because I was the third highest paid employee (after the two owners) and was able to be replaced at a much lower salary. The funny thing is, I completely agreed with them doing it, as I would do the same thing if I was in their position. Definitely feeling the Impostor Syndrome today! It is strange because I am actually very happy about being laid off. I really wanted to get back to working for myself ( I have started up several businesses through the years and it is still my passion) I guess I just don't make a very good employee LOL! Where the Impostor Syndrome is attacking me is the fact that I am 50 years old, a husband and father of three and should not be taking the risk of starting another business, especially an online business! That is what the voice keeps telling me, but my heart and my passion tell me to once again follow my dreams! I love the challenge of building a new company from the ground up. I love the challenge of learning a new industry. I long for the freedom that being successful in an online business can give me and my family. Every time I have faced these challenges in the past, it has turned out better than I could imagine. Thanks again for sharing just what I needed to hear today. I will take the writing challenges (even though I hate writing!) and let you know how it turns out.

I was a very chubby little kid, as in 15-20 lbs heavier than i am now and also 5 inches shorter (5'3 full grown). I feel like an imposter that I lost the weight, and that I am attractive. I feel like I'm still that chubby little kid hiding inside some skinny person's clothes and body. I feel like any moment I'm going to lose my mask and revert back to being a blimp and no one will love me and everything in my life will fail. It sounds so ridiculous reading it back to myself that I truly believe that!

I feel like an imposter pretending to be an imposter. I'm ok at things and a bit more confident in myself recently but I'm aware my imposter feelings are deep rooted. I think I was aware that all of this was going to happen eventually from a very young age —writing that makes me feel like an ego maniac, actually it's the fact that I secretly think I'm more insightful than others that makes me an ego maniac, how can I be more insightful than others? Perhaps I am but I'm really really scared to think that's true incase I'm not which might be really embarrassing to discover but would actually be the best thing in the world, people that think like I do everywhere, what a fantastic nightmare. This shows I have a fear of intimacy. This is my first vulnerable blog, I'm 24. So for me imposter syndrome is tied to a fear of intimacy / fear of vulnerability / failure etc and when I naturally try to ignore these fears and get on with life I can't because I feel like an imposter even more because I'm ignoring my feelings. One of your points really hit me, I even sighed like I'd been winded. I've not said to anyone "I'm an imposter". I need to find someone I can confess my imposter feelings too as soon as possible and hope that they can laugh it off with me, hell even agree. I've told people I have depression and that I'm not feeling too good but the part of my depression I can actively do something about is linked to an insane feeling called —I don't belong, I was a hypersensitive child. I've felt like an imposter since the age of around 10 and the flip side is that everyone else is a little bit crazy and I've just got to keep swimming and playing along. I have thought I was schizophrenic as a child, hearing voices, extremely imaginative, but then so were a lot of adults in my life and maybe I was just playing along and very lonely. I need to find my people. Being bisexual was alienating, not the sexuality obviously, that's great, but being me where I was, was difficult. I understand now that we're all imposters, making it up, but some are oblivious to this they seem so secure. So I'm tired of feeling and being pathetic. I'm pretty hard on myself but I do like myself, it took a while but I like myself 100% I'm number 11. So I'm waiting for parts of me to catch up with my self. I'm ready but I'm immature. I'm a fruit, but I'm not ripe. I'm a lion but a cub. Or I'm a worm on the ground. An egomaniac with self imposter syndrome to rein in the bs. I don't know if its worse to be a imposter or an egomaniac but I know egomaniac would feel better. It's probably not even being an egomaniac but just being myself which happens to be manic. Wow what if this is me still struggling to be myself. Things aren't bad so I don't know why I feel like this. I'm not fully employed, which hurts my self esteem. I'm an ok artist, maybe a good one I don't know, I have a degree (I don't know how to use it, but I have one and I aced it —I've never described my degree like that before but I thought I'd deliberately practice tooting my horn. What I usually think is that I got away with getting a first class honours). I really want to write and do on occasion but I tell myself that I'm being an ego maniac, and that there must be anything else I could be doing with my time, like not writing at all. Why do I think like that. How do I get over myself. I think I need someone to tell me I'm a good writer. Someone I don't know. Then I'll think ah, they aren't saying that because they know me, I must be good. So messy. My last point is that because I've said no to so many things and parts of myself to get where I am today it's become an unnecessary bad habit. It might have been a false necessity at the time, some kind of coping/defence mechanism but I guess now that I'm an adult, I don't really have to answer to anyone. I respect people, I'm not a bad person, I admit I haven't helped anyone on a large scale through active deliberate giving yet, but in time I hope to kick ass. So I understand I must start saying yes to everything. I can trust myself to do this, right? ...Right? Yes, inner child, you can trust me. Your post was great. Thank you so much for writing it. I didn't expect to write so much in response, but perhaps for once, I regret nothing.

Well this is scary to put out there..but here goes. Firstly, this was so great to read! I'm at a position where I'm waiting to hear back from a really really fantastic job opportunity. The issue is my start dates been delayed and despite the reassurance by the company that they'll contact me soon, I've already begun to think that I'm the reason this has happened and that I don't deserve the position. Unfortunately other things have crossed my mind too like I'm not good enough for the role/there are millions of other people who are probably more experienced than me that they could replace me with. I've always put myself down since my early teen days and I'm at a stage now where I'm so done with my past and ready to push myself out of these negative thought patterns. Its crazy how this article has made me aware of my thought process though! And its the most reassuring thing ever knowing you/others have experienced my exact feelings! Thanks soso much!

Hi! Thank you for this article. I actually feel very shitty up to the point that these running thoughts makes me unable to do anything productive at all, even though I have clients I need to help and gdi I even have a degree with honors to do what I'm doing right now. I'm still trying to internalize some of the stuff listed there, such as "don't compare to others", "realize that nobody knows what they're doing", and "take action". Printing this list and posting it right beside my desk. Thank you!

I'm glad I found this post. I have been feeling less of myself since I started grad school, always feel like I don't deserve to be in the class and like everyone is going to find out I'm not able to cope and didn't qualify to be in the class. This impostor feeling about myself has made me perform below par and I have zero to no confidence in class and during exams. But reading through this post, I'm feel more than I'm upto the task and can perform better without the fear I leave my room with everyday. I will start the 30mins writing and see how it goes. Thank you.

Top read. Nice to know its not just me then.

I'm a singer/actor who studied theatre at one of the nations top universities, trained privately for decades, and performed professionally for decades. I'm also really good with kids. However, I've hesitated to actively seek out voice students due completely to "Imposter Syndrome." (I didn't know about this until about 10 minutes ago, though). I have recently been trying to overcome this on my own and to face my fears. But, now that I know it's not just ME, it's not just MY problem...I feel so much more encouraged to reach out and help more kids.

Thank you for the great insight! Before reading this I knew very little about the 'authenticity' of even Imposter Syndome itself. I feel as though I've dealt with it for a long, long time but just put it down to anxiety or depression. More recently I've pushed myself into academia, doing both a Dip of HE and starting my Bsc in less than a year after not being in academia for 4 or so years. Ever since I started in January I'd told myself that I was out of my depth and I wouldn't achieve what I wanted. I knew what I wanted and what I needed to do, but there was always a voice in my head saying "what the fuck are you doing!". Not only this but my boyfriend has a PhD, so I always have this HUGE pressure put on me to succeed academically (not by him, by myself. I'd feel like I failed him if I didn't do well). My classmates have all come straight from college, and are all bright young minds, and I feel so out of depth or out of touch with my degree choice. I've told myself a thousand times that I can't do what I'm attempting. I'm only a few years older than them but feel so out of touch and intimidated by their confidence. I feel as though I need an academic credential to have some value or self-worth, or to be taken seriously. However I know that when, or if, I get there I will still have doubts. I'm just hoping by that time I will have more self-belief and confidence that I can achieve what I want without the approval from others.

Hi, Kyle! Thanks so much for writing this. I am a new grad student and have been struggling a lot to keep up in my classes - which led to putting my classmates on a pedestal and putting myself down. Your tips were exactly what I needed to hear. Thank Google for putting your article near the top when I searched for "impostor syndrome" and thank you so much for sharing it. Now I shall go study and do homework instead of having a pity party for myself. Have a great night!

I've been feeling like a fake pro basketball player for about 5 years, since 2010. I've been on "semi-pro" teams, travel teams and even took a trip out of the country once, now twice to "play basketball". The first time was a disaster which only made me feel like more of a fraud, on top of some people calling me one. So I returned back to the USA feeling fake, like I wasn't "good enough" to play pro basketball in Europe. Fast forward to now, another opportunity came up for me to "play basketball", in Germany. I feel like this is getting the best of me because I can't put my all into it for fear of the "secret" getting out, whatever that secret is. I don't want nobody to know, I want them to think everything is an illusion. This REALLY, REALLY SUCKS!

I've felt like I've become an imposter. I started playing guitar, holding myself to the highest standards being an actual fraud around people saying oh I know this and I know that when I really didn't in hopes that someone would come to me asking me to play for them. Well that day came sooner than I thought. But I was still being a real fraud bc even tho I did believe on what I was doing, I had no idea what I was doing in honesty. I pretended like I was just having a bad day or what have you and I guess it became worse with the more attention I got. I never did anything too special but some people said it was good and it was awesome. Well it kept feeding me and feeding my ego and kept putting myself in denial that I was actually no good, I just started but I felt like a star at the center of attention of parties when I really didn't know a c chord from a d chord. Of course now I've gotten alot better ik the chords, I'm learning all the scales. Have alot better feel than ever. But all that aside from now, I hold myself to being like synyster gates. That guy, he has amazing feel. Can shred like no other, live, recording, anywhere without missing a note but maybe twice every tour that I know of. And I want to be just like that. That exact same feel. The exact same abilities. But with trying to do all that, I've lost my love for it. I've lost my own heart. Along with many other things that have gone on. I've had depression, broke up with someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with someone I loved to death. Tried to drink away the pain but that ended up hurting me. I'm sure I was becoming a bad addict very young (18) I stopped enjoying that to hating it. In a very short time. I stopped enjoying music. After I stopped drinking I've had anxiety attacks, bad ones. I feel worthless alot. I don't have a job. And that makes me not want to be social bc I feel like a bum. I feel like people don't hang out with me bc they have to buy me stuff (even tho they offer and I don't ask) I still feel like crap really. And then feeling all that I don't find myself attractive. I don't have the confidence to talk to girls bc I wouldn't be able To have a relationship. And it goes on and on. And going deeper I'm a high school drop out. I used to play football and have all these dreams of finishing school. Somewhat thinking about what I might go to college for then the coaches smashed my dreams hard. Put me in a position I didn't care about. I stopped becoming dedicated. I always struggled with my grades bc I could always workout with them. That kept me going for a little ways then I couldn't even go do that stiff and lost it. It's kind of been the story of my life. I don't get to completely act on the things I want to do and carry them out to the fullest. :/ And it's hard to me to go to sleep. It's hard for me to get up. When I get up I do have moments of positivity but not alot. I have alot of things and I need to talk to a dr but even that I keep getting told I CAN'T do. It has to wait. That's just tip of the iceberg too.

I am new to finding this out about me. I somehow doubt if its only me feeling that way and it not being true in reality. I just graduated this year with a lot of confusion and despair for not having anything planned ahead. 6 months since,I feel I am not capable enough to find a job and have been avoiding phone calls. I think I don't have anything to offer and I don't know stuff. I am not smart enough. The world would be the same if I didn't existed.

Hey, Kyle, I stumbled on the post today, and it couldn't have come at a better time. As I write this, I am staring at my computer screen at work, trying to begin my "preappraisal self-evaluation" for the year. Each year, the company I work for requires each of us to evaluate ourselves and bring the evaluation to our yearly performance review. I've done a lot for my team this year, even taken on a new role specifically created just for me based on work I did last year. I have been staring at the form on my screen, thinking how much I feel like a fraud since the work I do isn't governed by a job description and I am largely responsible for defining my own success. Every entry I make in the form has felt like padding my results to make the year's work look good. After reading your post, I've begun to reevaluate my work. I did do good work this year, and it's ok for me to own that. I am not a fake for defining my own success and then living up to it, or even surpassing it occasionally. Thanks again for the post, Ben

Wow is all I can say. I remember telling my daughter I felt like a fraud. I do thank you for this post!!!!!

I was crying halfway through. I have a very big case of this. Since my childhood most of my teachers have said that I will do something big. I feel as if I talk big about things I actually dont know anything about. Even now I am confused. Sorry for rambling on.

You do realise you just confirmed every PhD's impostor syndrome by firmly labelling their expertise "useless"? So hey, thanks for that.

I love this blog!! I wasn't aware that I was doing this until someone pointed it out to me, it all makes sense! I think back to the times when I don't think I'm good enough/smart enough/have any right to add input etc...which is actually more often than I'd admit. My biggest problem is that i deny how smart people seem to think I am. I think this is mainly because I'm introverted and so my brain is like 'nah uh we'll just store that away where you cant get it' and so when people learn that I'm in university they bring up some topic that I've studied a million times and my mind goes blank. I just stand there as if I know nothing about the topic because nothing comes to mind. It's the most frustrating thing! I know that I have the info stored somewhere i just have no access to it unless I'm writing about it. Because of this I just don't think I'm all that brainy :P

I feel like a fraud every single day... I'm 37, people think I'm 28... I have a successful career and I earn a lot of money... Meanwhile I think it's just a fluke... I'm a single mom owning my own house... I feel like I robbed it or something... Every single day I think that it will all crumble down... That it will fail... Thanks for these thoughts... I will ponder on them...

I found an article about Impostor Syndrome, I didnt knew what it was but something made me read it. I did and I feel like an impostor already for thinking that I suffer from this. Then I found your post and it made me realize that I need to star making actions before this eats me alive. Is this horrible feeling like you cant never do anything good or even successful. I have this idea of a small business and I see myself do in it but the next morning I think "Im not that kind of person, I cant do that" I never thought this had a name, not I will try to treat this as it. Thank you, I know you wont see this I dont even know how old is this post but thank you.

I'm so afraid of being stupid, that I become stupid... when you're too busy worrying about being stupid, you don't have the mental space to concentrate on what you're actually supposed to be doing. Or, you refuse yourself the space to try and fail because you're so certain you'll fail that it seems silly to try. I'm so embarrassed by myself....I wonder when I will figure this all out? ^it's so cyclical! I want to offer some advice someone offered to me: Do not say, "fake 'til you make it", because this implies a level of authenticity that, as we've all been reminded here, does not actually exist; rather, try saying "practise makes perfect", because practising self-care, esteem, and love, is not about some innate authentic self, but about living, interacting, morphing, and 'multiplicity'. It's about being.

First off Kyle, Thank you for this article. It has really broadened my thought about having imposter syndrome - Heck i wasn't aware of it, just thought i had occasional self doubt. Yesterday after mass, i went for coffee with a fellow parishioner who is currently a doctorate student and we used the opportunity to share each others worries. That was when he told me about it. my undergraduate and masters degrees were both in Project management, i graduated somewhat earlier than my peers and even as friends and family sort of praised my accomplishments and mannerisms at time - i'd always think, if only then knew.. if only. After grad school i got a job immediately, was there for 6 months until my contract was up but then i expected to have been made permanent. Followed through with 2 different companies that led me on by inviting me in for 3 interviews with senior analyst roles but then i wasn't picked. to cut the long story short, for a month i was on the market until i passively applied for a more senior position as a project manager at a Prominent Biotech firm. First, i was shocked to have been called in for the interview with highly intellectual Directors. And oh! did i mention i was told to prepare a presentation? but because i felt inferior and not worthy of the position i decided to get there without my slides but ended up presenting with marker drawings on the board room board. Anyways, few days later, i got a call from their HR that they were impressed and wanted me to start immediately. i was happy but kept thinking, oh my gush what have ai done - I've deceived these people and they will eventually know i don't remember anything from my masters degree not to talk of undergrad!. Its been over a month working there, I've constantly battled anxiety whilst heading to work and being at work that i didn't know what i was doing, and that one of these smart people would call me out eventually. But, at the same time my directors and constantly given feedback of the amount of value I've added so far to the department and what great impressions I've made so far. Still, i worry and fear that I'm not worthy of my job title or of the responsibilities that follow , etc. for instance when at a round table with other subject matter experts, i want to shrink into the chair or just be invisible or when i actually talk, i feel i don't speak audibly and clear enough for others to hear because i feel i'm an imposter there. Imposter syndrome . With that said, the first step is to name and be aware of your demon and thus be able to talk it. I am now - thanks to you.

I've avoided interviewing for a new job to prevent the companies from finding out I am actually not that good as a programmer. Especially when I think of all the smart people I know. Which wasn't helped by the fact that the first interview I went to, they asked about 10 questions and I only knew about 1 answer. At my current job I am the only guy that knows anything about the programming language I am working in and therefore nobody does a code review which makes me feel even more like I am fooling them

I don't hang out with certain forums of people because I fear they will talk behind my back and hate me when in actual fact they're my mates.

I don't hang out with a certain group of people out of fear they will talk behind my back when in actual fact they are my mates. I also don't talk much out of fear of being laughed at or being hated. I don't hang out with my original group of friends out of fear of being seen as uncool.

My impostor syndrome has been giving me panic attacks- has that happened to anyone else? I'll start to feel like I'm having one, and then try to make myself stop it right away, and then it just gets worse because I feel like I'm so stupid I can't even control my own brain and body. I recently left my high-paying data science job at an insurance company because I was so miserable and bored- I applied to about 15 companies online, and got an interview at every place I applied to. However, when I showed up, I freaked out. I'd have a glass of wine before going so I could act 'normal' because I was so scared they'd see my anxiety and wouldn't want to hire me. I thought if i can trick these people into thinking I am just a happy go-lucky driven person, they will hire me. I'd try to prove that I was- and I'm sure I didn't say much of anything, because I didn't know what they considered to be a 'happy go-lucky driven person'. I never once tried to be myself. I ended up not getting a job offer anywhere and quit my job anyways. I try to tell myself I wasn't getting those jobs because I literally hated what I was doing and it's lucky I didn't get one (but I don't believe myself, I think I'm just telling myself that so I'll act like a normal person)- I've always loved writing and art and fashion and somehow I became a data scientist. Because of that, I think, 'Wow, I'm such an imposter I let myself become a data scientist, i'm so screwed up I'll never get it right'. I decided, with the support of my family, to pursue a writing career. I've always been a good writer, and loved doing it. Whenever I'm sad, I try to google an article or a blog about someone going through the same exact thing who ended up being okay. I want to write stuff like this for other people, so that they know it will be okay- because that's what I want for myself, but that would be a lie. I'd be posting lies. I can't stop panicking or having anxiety and it makes me feel so worthless.

I recently applied for a post-doc position in a very prestigeous university. My first reaction after getting notified that I actually got the position was to to cry. Not happy tears but tears of fear and panic because they would not see through the fake selfconfidence I displayed in the application and interview, discovering that I am actually quite slow and useless when it comes to producing papers and preparing presentations. That I constantly freak out about every little performance or intellegent argument I have to produce. The worst part, of course, is knowing that you wouldn't be such an impostor if you didn't spend so much time obsessing about being an impostor...

uff, I think I refused a very good job because I though I was not able to do it :( (when other with less experience than me can do it)

My imposter syndrome is that despite knowing that leaving my relationship is the right thing to do, I'm fooling myself that I deserve a better partner. He has the basic trappings of an adult and is a good person, but is not emotionally functional. Who am I to think that I can be with someone who will meet me halfway, rather than expect me to validate him all the time? I WILL leave him because deep down, we both deserve a chance at a relationship that is mutually fulfilling. No one is good or bad here. We're just people trying to love in incompatible ways.

Hi, I don't know how I decided that the comment section of a post that I stumbled upon accidentally was the best place to tell my story, but I'm going to have to talk about it eventually so here we go. I'm not like the other people joining this discussion. I don't suffer from what you describe as "imposter syndrome", because I don't just think I'm an imposter, I am one. I have lied about every aspect of my life to all the people that I'm close to, and even the ones I'm not. I have lied about things for so long, and in so much detail, that lying has become easier than deciding which aspects of life I made up and what actually happened. It scares me to know that no one around me knows anything relevant about me that isn't a lie, and I wish it wasn't like that. But I'm in so deep that I don't know if there's a way to dig myself back out. So I decided I would start with some complete strangers on the Internet. Thank you, if you read all of that without clicking away, I hope everyone here comes to terms with who they are as well. -a complete and total liar.

I did the same thing, thrice.

I'm Jeremy and this is the story of my first Imposter Syndrome experience. I've tried to make it easier to read by breaking it up because it ended up longer than I expected. I hope that reading it might help you. Writing it might have helped me, but I don't know yet... Perhaps I'll find out when I hit "Post as Jeremy", or when I hit Ctrl-A -> Delete. Ah, who am I kidding? After failing twice at the BBC Young Speaker's competition during the initial round, I entered the Digital Voice competition and made a short video accompanied by a blog post. I consistently put off working on anything until the last moment, and this was no exception. I knew the topics available to choose from and let them float around in my head along with a constellation of less-than-stellar ideas until finally something aligned; I could see the big picture. I would focus not on a particular manifestation of the topic, but on the topic itself: Ideas that could change the world. I wrote a script then gathered my laptop, a microphone and an audio processor – which could serve as an adaptor between the microphone and the computer – and set up in front of a book-case, finding a dead lightbulb conveniently placed to use as a prop. Many takes down the line, the sun began to set. Having run out of light, I set about editing in some screen overlays, cropping the video and adding background music to set the mood. It sounds like a lot of work, and indeed it was a lot of effort, but it only took about a day to complete my 1:30 min video and blog post, once I had started working on it. Some time later I received an email inviting me to the winner's ceremony, having been selected as a finalist. On the way there I felt like I already knew I had won, which was preposterous, but confirmed when I arrived by the reactions of certain people to my arrival. Amongst a list of sponsors' speeches, the videos were shown and the winner announced. Indeed, me. I had done public speaking before, so appearing on stage was nothing new to me, but I avoided the collective gaze of my fellow contestants. Their videos seemed to be so well thought out and argued, but they had used internal microphones and some with only the video as-is. Had I cheated by using semi-professional sound? I had bought it beforehand because of an interest in Beardyman on youtube... What about by obsessively tweaking the minutia of my video? Or going meta on the prescribed topic? My approach and technique were so different that it couldn't help but to stand out, and yet I had done the entire thing based on intuitive insights and random chance. It was as if I had used a cheat code, and the other players knew it. After having extricated myself from the slough of emissaries, the photographer and the reporter, (Who knew that being asked for a quote was not a request for a quote by my favourite author?) I found myself outside gazing in wonder at the people walking by oblivious to what had just happened in my world. As a result of that, I went on to take part and win a debate on climate change and was sent as a junior reporter to a conference on the capture and storage of CO2 as a green initiative attended by representatives from many household-name companies, along with two other winners. Oddly, this time I don't recall feeling the impostor syndrome, possibly because it was obvious but excused, possibly because I was not alone or just possibly because being there was the prize itself. Also, I had a job to do, so perhaps my note-taking simply distracted me from deep existential thoughts. :) I am Jeremy, (Yep, still.) and this has been my story.

Thank you for sharing the story. It is very much like my own. I am a computer science PhD student too and I just can't get a paper published even though I have enough information after some research because I feel it is worthless. I haven't started my thesis yet, there is lesser than half a year left. My advisor said my that I am already better in this topic that he is and I should publish something, but still I think I am a phony and soon everyone will know about it after that. The saddest thing for me that I always wanted to get PhD and become a researcher but it seems I can't manage it. I don't know what I will do after that, because until recent time it was the thing that drove me forward, I just can't imagine doing anything else. I already have a software engineer job and I hate it despite it has good enough conditions. I feel like imposter on my job too.

I feel like an imposter at school. Initially I went to a university straight out of high school and withdrew before the first semester ended. I was away from home, dumped by my boyfriend at the time, and didn't know who I was or what I was doing in college. After working for a year I went to a local community college. Two years later I transferred to the university I'm at now. When I graduate this spring, I'll have been working on my undergrad for 6 years. To be honest I never thought I'd make it. In high school I couldn't imagine myself in college or living passed 21. I just felt like I didn't have what it takes like everyone else. I'm terrified of finishing school; I don't think I'll find a job to support myself better than $11/hr. because I don't feel qualified enough. All public school encouraged me to do was prep for college- now what? Sometimes I don't know who I am or know what I want. A lot of times I feel like I'm holding myself back from being successful but when I think about doing something different or moving forward I just want to crawl back into my shell. There have been moments when I felt qualified and was proud of myself. Recently I got a research assistant position at a lab on campus, however now I seem to only think about how late I am in getting one. So many other people find them sophomore year and junior year, working their way up to internships and co-ops by the time they graduate. Advisors and professors have told me to apply for research assistant positions and study abroad programs before it's too late. The thing is during those times I was barely keeping my grades up and my financial situations were never favorable for study abroad. Still, I could've found and applied for scholarships instead of sitting around doing nothing with my life. Saying all this makes me ready to graduate though, because I see that these thoughts are bullshit and I have so many ways to go after I graduate. I also feel like an imposter in my relationship with my boyfriend. When we argue, he'll give me this look that makes me think "he's finally seeing the real me, he now understands that he made a terrible decision to date me." Of course he hasn't broken up with me yet, and I realized with time and experience when I stand up for myself instead of retreating I don't feel like it's all my fault. Even when I have it in my mind that we should just break up, the conversation never gets to that point. Being ready to end the relationship in my mind helps me to not be afraid to say no. I honestly think most of the time I feel like I'm to blame for the argument because I don't stand up for myself. I can't decide whether I should just delete all this and call it a good exercise in self-reflection or if posting it would do more good than I can imagine.

I feel like a huge fraud and I feel like I'm even more of a fraud for saying that out loud. I compare myself to the best, but also the worst - who am I to feel bad when there are others in the world struggling over bigger issues? Who am I in comparison to John Doe who is 10000x better than I am? People always comment about my dedication and compliment me one way or the other, but I can never internalize it. For some reason, it's just absolutely fucking SHOCKING that anyone thinks anything of me. When I practice my craft and do something flawlessly, I can't give myself the credit and I give luck and "timing" the credit. I'm struggling with confidence in my abilities and have started to read books to "hack" my mindset into a growth/positive one and it's been helping me to become more conscious of my ridiculous thoughts. I've confided in friends and they think it's mostly in my head and a lack of confidence, but I put in so much work that I actually do believe that I have the ability and the capability to be successful. I guess it really had to do with feeling like a fraud. I find that I'm always in constant shock of anything good that I do and I NEED internalize my successes instead of writing them off as "dumb luck." I need to give myself more credit. I should almost be pissed that I would give luck the credit instead of myself given how much work I put in towards my goals.

I almost didn't post this because I am afraid my story has nothing to do with impostor syndrome and I am actually a fraud. You'll tell me: My parents tell me all the time that I have a strong personality, that I am direct and take no shit from nobody, but the truth is I rarely speak my mind to others, even if they try to take advantage of me, I feel likee this "strong straightforward woman" personality everybody thinks I have is just something they wanna see and that I like to believe I am, but actually I am not. I feel like I'm always expected to know the answer, to do things right, to be the top gun, but I am not. I came into this blog because I was looking on the internet for people that felt underqualified for their job, just like I do. Truth is the person who hired me is friends with my father, yes I got an interview but I honestly feel somebody with way more experience should be doing this job, specially for what the stakes are, everybody on the media and political life in my country is lookin at this project and I'm just a 26 year-old girl trying to figure out how to do this job. With some responsibilities I feel like I do ok, but with others is just overwhelming. Two other things I want to do but feel like is not going to be good enough: my podcast and my travel blog, I feel like there are just better people out there to do it. That's my story.

Interesting! I never knew that anyone else felt like this. I am terrified that I will be found out. That everyone in my life will realize that I have been faking it all along. I even think I am faking it. My husband assures me that my successes are real and that I am a good mother and wife; however I cannot see any of this. I am nervous that anyone will find out about me. They will find out I am bipolar and depressed and have social anxiety and I will be a pariah. I can't be "open" about my mental illness to the public because I feel that I may lose my job because of it. I am even nervous around my mom and sister. Scared that they will see me and see that all of my accomplishments have just been coincidence and that I am, well, AN IMPOSTOR. I guess your point kind of nailed it. Because I think I am better than them, I am afraid of the reality that I am just human, like them. They look at me and admire my accomplishments, my "happy" family my big house and good job. I feel like I have to uphold their illusion of perfection. If that breaks I won't have an identity. At work, I am always sure that I am just about to get fired. That they found out I have no idea what I am doing and they have to let me go. I can't blame them. I also can't believe that I have gotten away with it for this long. It's just a matter of time. Thanks for sharing.

Great article! I feel this way all the time. I feel that i should know more than i do, and one day someone will find out and it will all be over. I feel like I'm stuck in my job because i would potentially be found out if i try and go somewhere else. The only way it gets a little better is when i study more, but i end up ignoring the fact that i know more in one area, believing that i'm still a fraud. I'm way too critical of myself, which in turn makes me more critical of others. Many thanks for this article Kyle!

I just started a new job. I'm three days in, tomorrow is my fourth and i nearly had an emotional breakdown when i came home tonight. I've known about imposter syndrome for quite some time and I've known that i suffer from it, but i've never taken action to move past it. Technically, I'm not qualified for the job I'm doing in IT. I don't have a degree in an IT field, but i do have a bachelor's degree. Computers have always been my free time thing. Home servers, building computers, troubleshooting, etc. I'm self-taught. I'm aware that there's a ton i don't know and I'm terrified of making mistakes - not so much with my personal posessions, but with others'. I understand there's the adjustment period when starting a new job, but I've been overwhelmed with just how much i think i don't know. All of my co-workers have been working at the company for years so it seems like everything they do is just second nature to them. I just dread the moment when they call me out for not knowing something that i should. Basically a textbook imposter syndrome emotional response. Growing up, i've always been told that i was a "smart kid." I never really agreed with that. I just thought it was because i just seemed that way or that they just didn't know/see the real "me" that i experience. What I'm getting to is, yes - I have imposter syndrome. I know I'm not alone, but that doesn't make it too much easier for me to overcome. I'm not certain I'll ever 100% overcome it, but I'm trying.

I first experienced this as a very small child, being very frightened about feeling there was nothing inside me and so imitating grown up's gestures, actions and speech. It felt like cheating somehow and I have always felt guilty about it. I had to have a response for everything. Saying "I don't know" marked me as less than I should be, hence shameful, hence guilty. I have always felt "inauthentic" because I never had to study for exams, I could whip off a paper the night before, success in most things came easy to me. Then I looked at others who were unable to succeed without very hard work and I felt ashamed at the ease with which I succeed. This self-absorption has been very detrimental to my actual life. Thank you so much for the insight.

I'm scared to apply for programs and fellowships because then readers of my application might find out that I don't understand the topic well enough and my perception of events and education models is wrong. I fear they'll think I'm missing some key piece of information.

Thank you , Kyle, for the article. I almost never read articles of this nature but stumbled across this when having a particularly bad time with some negative criticism from one of my board members. I think my Imposter Syndrome is at its' height when I start second-guessing my decisions because of criticism. I am the CEO of a relatively small company, have a MBA and, on a fairly regular basis, really start to wonder when the gig will be up and I will be exposed for just not being that smart. While I don't want others to feel the way I do, I am happy to know that I'm not the only person in the world with this issue. This alone makes me feel less like a fraud.

I dropped out of college because of the feeling of constant anxiety. I was in good terms with everyone there, was handing the subjects on the same level as my peers, yet... I was feeling like I was doing badly and couldn't master the profession of my choice. So I dropped out. I told myself that it was the program, that it was too difficult for me (it was a rather high profile college), so I applied for same specialization in a different college. Same thing happened. 5 years have gone since then and I spent most of the time without a job, experiencing the same feeling even when I do find one.

Ah, you wrote exactly the same reason I ended up on this page (via Google) too - I'm a woman in a Board Position on four companies, I find I over achieve in order to 'prove' that I am what I say I am, evem if no-one is questioning my credentials or acheivements, and then I get exhausted and burned out. Sometimes it feels like I carry the whole burden of the business (which is ridiculous) but I can't help the feeling that if I break, someone will find me out, and then everything will fall apart ... so I continue my 'fraud' for another day, over achieving, over analysing, over-exhausted.

I suppress myself in interviews because I feel fake and that all my experience and success is a result of luck and that I have no part in it, and that if I claim a part in my success, that I am lying and that I will surely be found out. I have also recently been given an amazing opportunity and I cannot help but feel that these people have been deceived rather than acknowledging that they do see potential in me, and that I in fact do deserve this experience.

I have a book I've been wanting to "birth" for almost 20 years and I'm so afraid to show it to anyone.

I want to change our political system. My work is in the field of communication and I support people to hear each other, to hear beyond the words that are said to the deeper meaning underneath. I dream of a political system where representatives at all levels listen to each other and try to hear meaning, to deeply understand what is being said, before even considering responding. A system in which the energy of all those involved would be directed towards understanding, finding common ground and working together, rather than towards opposing, criticising, undermining and attempting to win. If someone has to win, then someone else must lose. I dream of a system in which everyone matters and no-one loses.

What is this and why do people know of it? How do we get over this when we just feel painful all the time? Like never can give enough. Just makes me feel worthless

I have recently changed roles in my company and I feel like this everyday. Im a counsellor people come to me for support and advice and I feel like a fraud ready to be caught out. Everytime a client doesnt come back I think its me. And sometimes it is. Its crazy and I wish I could just get over it and do ny job but I cant.

You and your words are amazing! Just reading through the things people are saying touches my heart. It just shows how we are all so hurt in one way or another and are in desperate need of healing. Thank you for setting up a floor for these conversations to take place, im sure that being able to vent and also see that we arent alone, lifts a huge load of their shoulders! You are amazing! Thank you!

Just wanted to say thank you. I suffer from crippling imposter syndrome (and until recently I didn't even know that it had a name, or that it was common). It wasn't until my husband and best friend, while I was mid-breakdown at the prospect of making banana bread (I've never successfully made it and I take pride in my baking), confessed that they had similar fears in their respective areas of expertise. For the first time, it didn't seem so insurmountable and I decided to do what I always do when faced with a new challenge: research. This is, out of the many articles I have read, the MOST helpful. I immediately sent it to my husband and best friend. Now, we're going to try and face our fears head on, together.

I have avoided publishing my work in a peer reviewed journal because I fear I will be found out as an impostor, I am not the world's best record keeper but the work I do is good. Thank you for this article - it is very helpful.

I've had an idea for a book I want to write for years but I'm so scared to write it because I'm afraid if I do everyone will hate it.

I haven't committed wholly to the work I've recieved for my fledgling freelance business because I feel like I don't deserve the work, or the excellent clients I've somehow gained.

Unlike most of the imposters commenting, I have found that the feeling of being a fake has tottally debilitated me with everything I have done and everything that i have wanted to do, even when talking to people. Unfortunately I am now completely comfortable in not engaging in life. My pursuit for perfection, honesty, authenticity were futile, what I didnt realise was that perfection is not perfect, that difference is what make us uniquely beautiful, no body is perfect even if they appear to be.

I was once told I had a math learning disability in middle school. Fast forward 20 years, and I'm in a job that requires statistics, stats computer software, and a lot more smarts than I think I have. And I just keep asking myself, "How did this happen and when are they going to find out I'm actually not any good at this?"

I feel like a total fake in all aspects of my life. Over the last four years I've helped build a business and increase my personal income by almost 60% because I've done well. I still think everyday "this is they day they figure it out and fire me." I try so hard to be a good father to my kids but feel like I let them down at every turn even though they clearly don't feel that way. I even have long-time friends that are as close as siblings and consistently think "if they knew what I was really like they'd never talk to me again." Thank you for the article!

You made my night, thank you so very much! I always hang out with people who are at least 2-3 years older than me and I don't even know why I compare myself to them when they have way more experience than I do in life. Instead of comparing, I'll be learning from them ?-From a 20 year old woman who always belittles herself because she thinks she's a fake, when she's very smart actually.

Its awful I feel like a fraud all the time, everything I do and say I just don't understand it, how can I feel like a fraud when I'm being myself and I'm usually not in the moment I focus much more on how I look or how what I said sounds that what I'm actually saying, it's a weird feeling I hope I overcome it soon, anyway thanks for this article it was really helpful.

I have avoided taking initiative with my work because I constantly tell myself and believe that I don't know anything about designing websites, even though I have done it for eight years and my projects are generally successful, some quite successful. I just can't seem to accept that my work is real, that I am not fake, I think that people are believing a fabricated resume even though it is factual I still worry it is fake and I have lied. So I avoid pursuing ideas I think will help my you work be better because I disown that it is my work! Obviously it's my work, but by pretending it isn't, I compromise on making it the best that I could.

Wow, what did I just come across?! I have been going through this almost my whole life, but have been to scared to fully come out and talk about it. I am 25 and have avoided finishing any program at school, or even building any strong relationships because of it. I am even questioning every word I write down because I worry about my Grammer, speech, and think that I am crazy and should be in a mental hospital. But in reality I haven't done anything different compared to anyone else. If anything I have avoided living because of these thoughts, and have depended on the lead of others rather than making my decisions. Following others has left me scared of myself. Recently I've closed myself up so much that I am dealing with it alone, because my environment is manipulative and downgrading. This article just gave me that little push I needed.

I've worked in a marketing career for twenty years and most days I think I really haven't achieved anything at all despite colleagues and bosses telling me I'm a high performer with a great style. I avoid actually talking to people sometimes in case they see right through my facade. How ridiculous is that?

Very help post.

I was always very popular and successful with girls and people in general but I always felt that everybody liked me because I was pretending to be that "cool guy" but was actually just an imposter.

I think I have always felt like a fraud. I have raced through life trying to "be the best," "do the most," and "know it all" and have walked away from pursuing my passion (classical singing) for fear of failure. I have always been so successful in all my undertakings that when something posed a real challenge, I wasn't equipped with the understanding of how to persevere through my own limitations and instead would simply switch careers. I feel that I am still doing this, this "running away" from difficulty thing, but at least now I know why. Hopefully, I can start tackling my obstacles head-on instead of shirking them for something easier and more comfortable. Thank you for the great article!

I am double-majoring, doing research, and should be graduating a semester earlier. On paper it sounds so impressive. Everyone, my family and friends, think I am very smart and that I work hard, but I don't feel like that is true. I keep comparing myself to others and feel like I am not smart enough like them. It helps reading this article and other people's stories. Thank you!

i've always been praised as "the intelligent one", "the bright one", "the one that will succeed", always had good grades (i guess this is a sort of a measure in our lives?) and with very extroverted and gregarious behaviour clicked and connected with people- they percieved me as funny and confident. however, i have always felt like a big sham, a big disappointment waiting to happen... or be revieled. i believe(d?) all of my school/work success was mainly a matter of luck and magically getting by somehow, that if anyone dug a bit deeper they would KNOW, would SEE it all oh so clearly; and the personal connections i made- well, the majority i did not feel was genuine. in a way, i felt my extroverted behaviour was my way of shielding the real person i wam/am - a person who would actually prefer to keep things simple, low-key and in a small, thight, close-knit circle. a person that is anxious and going from super optimistic to deeply saddened, dare i say- suicidal (this comes and goes in waves). on the other hand, i do enjoy all the dramatic HUGE gestures and epic story-telling, i do have so much fun with it, and i believe i make people feel better, lighter and more playful- bringing them on a journey to childhood and an easier way of functioning; but still, deep inside, there is always the lingering feeling of never being good enough, never being true enough (whatever that means), never knowing enough, never doing enough, never taking ALL THE FACTORS into consideration (even though, logically, i know one simply CANNOT EVER take everything into account as one cannot EVER know everything.... and even what we know is smuged by our preconcived notions of what is what and our perception). i was lucky enough to have plucked the courgage a few years ago and discussed this anxiety/fear/problem/issue with a close friend and he made me look at it from a bit different perspective, to consider that maybe, just maybe i might be wrong about it, that i am dismissing my potential; he reassured me everyone feels this way sometimes and was ever since more than open and willing to discuss it if i had a crisis. a bit later this lead to another fried opening up to me and another. it's a relief to know i am not alone in this, in a way it is also a relief to share it this way now, as i am currently in a very strange spot in my life, questioning all of my decisions and figuring out which way i should proceed. i am trying to HEAR myself and find my voice, to decide what my next step should be- i have my mind sharp and working, i am slowly tuning into my intuition and seeking the balance i need........... and then this impostor feeling starts to wake up again! so- i looked it up, found ytour article, jotted down a few lines in a notebook took a deep breath and i feel a lot lighter. thank you! will it go away forever- probably not, will i do my best to tame it?- sir, yes, sir. thank you for your post and to all the commenters- thank you for your comments, you are all very inspiring and i believe/hope this will be the additional little push i need to make a next big brave step. hang on in there! lots of love

I do my job half assedly, I do not push for more because I think I'm barely holding on as is and I put a brave face on every time something is expected of me.Sure I get the job done, but only enough for others not to notice my lack of interest and skill, I wing it most of the time. I feel inferior to others and do nothing about it lest I'm exposed for what I am.I get praise from my bosses but those just bounce off of me. i feel the same when socializing and take great caution not to be exposed for the introvert I am, like it's a cardinal sin.I also constantly compare myself to others and their life experiences and regret doing none of the things they did like I couldn't just go ahead and do 90% of them.

I'm a filmmaker. I'm told many times I'm talented at what I do and know a lot about my craft etc to the point where people are now approaching me for advice. I feel like people think I'm more capable than what I actually am though. A few years ago, I was told by my closest friend that I used to make films with that I had become arrogant, cocky and came across as ungrateful to himself and the people that worked for me (for free). At the time I did't acknowledge this about myself. I guess I was blind. But now looking back retrospectively and after the wake-up call from my friend, I realised that I had made a lot of mistakes and done a lot of selfish stuff that affected the people around me. This was clearly apparent and not just all in my head. Since then, I've been extremely self-aware of my actions and the things I say (especially in public) which quickly lead to extreme self-deprecatiion. I think I've done this because I don't want to come across as the 'arrogant, self-centred person' that I used to be in fear that I will be judged and lose more friends. It's gotten to the point now where I struggle to accept a compliment and deflect people who seek me for advice. Being humble and modest is a great thing, but being self-deprecating is a different thing entirely. I've put myself down so much now that I feel like I'm not capable of making the films I want to make and being able to help others get their films made as well.

I avoided hanging out with people because I felt like a fake around them, I read this post a few months ago and I remember denying it, but now it's so obvious.

Thanks for posting this. I have had terrible issues with this "syndrome". Not knowing that so many people have it. Of course there are different levels of severity. I have had a lot of anxiety in my job and in life period. It more comes with what others think of me. I know within myself that I am ok but its more with what others think is what completely consumes me and drives me to the point of emotional instability. I have called in sick numerous times because I was up all night worrying about what people think of me. Its like I already know they will see I am a fraud. I am surprised I still have my job "hopefully". I just had another episode last night where I was suppose to go to a meeting with the "bigwigs" at my job and immediately uncontrollable fear gripped me and I could not shake it. Its like I don't want them to know I am a fraud and really don't know much as "I" should. I guess I really need to realize that Im not that important like what Kyle was saying. I'm really not as self important as I thought. Do you know how hard that is to grasp? Dear God this is almost like coming to the realization that my whole perception of myself my WHOLE life has been painfully WRONG. This is all I have known.

Thanks for sharing, this really helped me see I have been doing the same thing.

I just landed a job at a firm I worked for nearly 10 years ago. They didnt want me to leave but I needed more money. Fast forward a decade and now Im going back for a bit more than Im currently earning. The reason why? I got passed over for promotion at my current place. I was stagnating there, pinned to a highly skilled job that nobody else could do. Now Im returning to my last place of work, same industry, but to do a completely different operation that I was trained on near 20 years ago and havent done for 10. Im worried I have forgotten it too much, that I no longer have that skill, and that they are going to question why they are paying me so much more than anybody else there. Its a manual skill so if you dont use it you lose it. I never had any problem learning it originally but I feel like they are expecting me to hit the ground running due to the wage they are going to pay me. I keep telling myself I can do it, its like riding a bike, but I have the overwhelming 'imposter syndrome' feeling. Anxiety is setting in. I really need to get that first day over with. They loved me when I was there before.

Singing is a great talent I have, but the last time I shared that ability was at my nanny's funeral. I really did it for mom. I'm afraid to sing in public again. I can't sing in church, or just to mom. It's hard because I even dream of making an album, but I fear being alone in trying. Sorry to read negative, but I want to share my talents and this one haunts me.

I have a postgraduate management qualification and 10 years' work experience... in management. But for some reason I ended up in a minimum wage entry-level job because I got divorced and made redundant and my confidence took a nosedive. I love my job -- love all the people and actually love the work itself, but I get these daily panic attacks about the life I've given up. I want to skip a couple of levels and apply straight for the top jobs. I mean hey, I meet all the criteria. But every time I go to apply for something I get this grip of fear. What if I'm not qualified? What if I'm not what they're looking for? What if I fail and everyone finds out and then they essentially torment me for applying for something that's too good for me? What if I am fake? What if I have all these awful personal qualities that I can't see? What if other people secretly think I'm so so shit, and they won't give me a chance? Or what if they give me a chance and I fail? It's kind of worse because in my family I was taught to fake it. I was pushed into University several years too early by my parents. My mum's advice was: "just lie... then work really hard when you get there." Obviously it didn't work. Now my heart breaks at all the experience that I've got that I'm too afraid to try and use. Just because I think, *what if someone else doesn't agree that I'm good enough for this?* Unsurprisingly, some people ARE quite bitchy... I'm an experienced manager in an entry-level role... it is a bit weird...

I used to have this fear. I still can't sing, but even when I was alone in my car or walking alone in the forest or even just in my bedroom with my headphones on, I was terrified of making a noise. I used to sing into my hands or wait until everyone had left the house. Maybe you can try humming or whistling as you walk down the corridor? Or sing when no-one is around? Or even sing fake songs in a silly voice to get comfortable with making a noise?

Thanks so much for this post! My brain believes you but I need my anxiety to get on board... I received some criticism at work for the first time ever, and now I feel paralyzed. I procrastinate constantly because I'm afraid of making another mistake. That, in turn, prevents me from doing good work. I don't believe every other person who has told me I'm a rock star - I feel like this criticism was the only true feedback I've ever received, and everyone else is just being nice.

I've been interviewing people to work for me lately and it's been excruciatingly difficult. I feel like a hypocrite asking them questions and evaluating their "worth". I think that they'll figure out what a bad manager I am and that I don't know what I'm doing and they'll just walk out. Sometimes I think I don't select the resumes of the most-qualified people because I think they're better than me. So what if they are. I should hire people better than me. If I could do it myself I wouldn't need them.

I'm constantly told by my boss that they like my work, but I can't stop feeling that I just do the bare minium to present. And that my work is always incomplete, and that I should now more about what I'm doing, so I could deliver a better result.

I hope you will apply for those higher jobs that interest and scare you. If you told me in an interview, "I had some setbacks but I'm qualified and anxious to get back on the horse" I would give you a chance!

Having worked in IT for about a decade, I have been told time and again by my peers, colleagues and seniors that I am great at what I do.When I feel the need to change jobs, I feel like there is so much out there that I should be knowing but I simply don't know it all. The rational side of me tells me that it is practically impossible for one person to know it all but there is the other (sometimes way louder) thought berating my lack of knowledge. I will change my job because I am dissatisfied and unhappy with my role and contributions and I am pretty good with what I do. Typing this out is making me feel better already. Thanks Kyle!