In keeping with my blogs on pop psychology, “impostor syndrome” is a term I have seen a lot lately. Okay, it’s not truly a syndrome, is it?  The National Cancer Institute defines a syndrome as a “set of symptoms or conditions that occur together and suggest the presence of a certain disease or an increased chance of developing the disease”.  Not sure that this is a real medical condition or that a disease is likely to result.

When people use the term “impostor syndrome”, I interpret it as being insecure or feeling extremely unqualified to perform a task or responsibility, despite being capable.  In other words, you feel like a fake or fraud.  Is that a formal mental health or physical/medical condition?  No.  This seems more like a lack of confidence – general confidence or perhaps confidence as it relates to some specific skill or role.  Even when these feelings are huge.

I often hear people talk about impostor syndrome as it relates to work – someone gets a highly visible position or task and they, perhaps unexpectedly, feel sick to their stomach, panicky, and they’re overwhelmed by doubts.  It often feels like anxiety. This sensation can of course be experienced in any area of life - insecurity about being in a committed relationship, about being a good parent or student, or even about personal characteristics such as feeling attractive, smart, generous, etc. The “impostor” is usually a woman, because women are genetically programmed to be insecure??? (NO)

Challenge to one’s identity

While I am not sure this is a hard and fast rule, I often see that people feel highly insecure about parts of their lives that are really important.  For example, someone who is about to become a first-time parent is likely to be thinking a lot about children, parenting, finances, day-care, schools, dating, etc. It would not be surprising to learn that this parent-to-be got overwhelmed and perhaps felt afraid that they could not live up to expectations.  Becoming a parent is probably an enormous change in one’s own sense of identity. And an important one. Feeling insecure might be a pretty normal reaction here. Is it a medical syndrome? No but it could be an area that would benefit from attention.

Feeling like an outsider – could you actually be one?

As I was writing this blog, I came across a 2021 article by The Harvard Business Review that suggested that telling women they are suffering from impostor syndrome was likely harmful.  It says that many women may in fact be qualified for a new job, for example, but they are feeling like a fraud because of systematic bias, discrimination, and hostility, not from insecurity.  The article continues on, pointing out that women of color are even more likely to face these offensive, pervasive headwinds.  I wish I were surprised to read to this. The article also points out that blaming the issue on the individual by labeling them as having “a problem” is a lot easier for an organization than acknowledging that others within the organization may be directing hostility, aggression, and discrimination towards women, especially those of color.  The solution?  “Fix bias, not women.” While that is a witty and concise way to state it, fixing bias is not simple.

Imposter Phenomenon

 This HBR article cites psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes as coining this concept, originally termed “imposter phenomenon,” in their 1978 study of high performing women.  They found that women tended to be insecure and attributed their successes to luck or hard work rather than ability, where, with men, it is the opposite.  Problematically, it fails to consider whether women have valid reasons for struggling to see themselves as able, such as negative societal expectations and bias. While this was likely well-intentioned and in-keeping with cultural norms of the time, suggesting that women undergo therapy to deal with their insecurities is another example of victim-blaming.  As a therapist, I definitely believe that people can work to strengthen their self-esteem but failing to acknowledge the impact of discrimination and gender/culture-based hostility is a fail.

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References

Jodi-Ann Burey, Ruchika Tulshyan (2021).  Stop Telling Women They Have Impostor Syndrome. Harvard Business Review, February 11, 2021.  https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-impostor-syndrome.utm_medium=email&utm_source=circ_newbusiness&utm_campaign=subscribetohbr_gbb&utm_content=subacq_nonexp_testcontent23q4_t2&hideintromercial=true&tpcc=email.circ_newbusiness.subacq_nonexp_levelup_t2

NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms, National Cancer Institute (.gov) (N.D.). https://www.cancer.gov › dictionaries › cancer-terms › de

Pauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes, (1978). The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychotherapy Theory, Research and Practice Volume 15, #3, Fall 1978. https://www.paulineroseclance.com/pdf/ip_high_achieving_women.pdf