We are seeing an increasing democratization of access to mental healthcare owing to the constantly evolving technologies . Mental health is shifting away from the conventional hospital setting to a more community-driven approach . There has been an exponential growth in the number of jargons ; terms used to classify a set of behavioral patterns . The Imposter Phenomenon , or rather , Imposter Syndrome as we call it , is definitely one of them . It is gradually becoming more apparent and widespread across the globe . Although it isn ’ t an official illness according to the DSM ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ), it can have detrimental implications on mental and physical health . Thus , it is best to have a conceptual understanding of the imposter syndrome so as to prevent any potential vicious downward spirals of negative thought patterns .
The first ever academic reference to the imposter phenomenon was mentioned in an article regarding “ The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women ” in 1978 . This was coined after a brief qualitative experiment on 150 high-achieving women , most of whom were not able to internalize their respective academic achievements and instead credited their success to luck . This set of feelings attributed to low selfconfidence and self esteem , as well as a distorted perception of oneself despite the presence of external validation is what we commonly refer to as the Imposter Syndrome .
The notion of external validation is subjective and inevitably varies per scenario . For example , let us take three scenarios : ( 1 ) An individual who has amassed more than 1M views for their new music video ( 2 ) A singer , not known to many , but finally got an opportunity in film ( 3 ) A new independent artist who just released a new music video . Are all individuals therefore high achievers ? Or do we only consider the individual with a high viewership a high achiever ? Is it even worth comparing ? Let ’ s say we consider all three to be ‘ high achievers ’ in their own regard , they can all still be susceptible to the syndrome if they feel they don ’ t deserve the success . This could be a function of inevitable comparisons , lack of external validation , or even intrinsic self-doubt . However , by no means should one allow such intangible and most often artificial constructs of success to govern their character and way of living / achieving .
Having said that , certain external conditions can fuel the development of the Imposter Syndrome among more susceptible individuals . For example , let us take a rather oppressed society built on strong gender stereotypes . A woman in this society releasing a rap / hip-hop music video is probabilistically more likely to experience more profound feelings of self-doubt and even guilt for that matter compared to a society where the gender gap isn ’ t as apparent . It is therefore important to understand the context and be conscious of why you are feeling the way you are feeling .
Again , since Imposter Syndrome is not an official diagnosis , there ’ s often ambiguity in how one defines and interprets the term . It is seen as an umbrella term for feelings of self-doubt , and perceived selfincompetence that could either be transient and / or more chronic across various circumstances . We live in a world that is intrinsically built upon various social constructs , one of which is hierarchies . We encounter many hierarchies , some of which we are conscious of , and others we have subconsciously imbibed as valid . Some examples are : corporate organizational structures , gender and ethinic specific prejudices , income classes , and employment types . As such , comparisons and judgement are inevitable .
In fact , although this notion of being an ‘ imposter ’ may have negative connotations , there are endless upsides as long as ( 1 ) you are cognizant of its occurrence and ( 2 ) you make a conscious effort to ensure those feelings don ’ t dictate your personal integrity / work ethic / personality . For example , if you can pinpoint why you doubt yourself , or perhaps , why you think you may not be deserving of something , then you can make a conscious effort to prove yourself wrong . In fact , we should all question ourselves and continue to learn and grow . Why not consider using these feelings to your own advantage and allow yourself to grow outside these mental constraints you are creating within yourself ?
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