Have you ever come to the point that whenever you achieve something, you feel like you did not really deserve the Have you ever come to the point that whenever you achieve something, you feel like you did not really deserve the accomplishment? Instead of feeling proud of yourself, you feel fake or like a fraud?
If, instead of being happy and feeling joy for yourself, you dread and feel down whenever doing something worthy of being called a success. Maybe you might have imposter syndrome. Especially if you think that one day, everyone will find out that you just got lucky and aren’t actually all that skilled.
You might be surprised to learn that this exact feeling or situation is something that quite a lot of people experience. This is what Imposter Syndrome is, and it hits people who are mostly high achievers. It’s also known as the impostor phenomenon, sometimes referred to as fraud syndrome, and is associated with internal beliefs that challenge your own abilities. If you’ve ever wondered about imposter syndrome meaning, it refers to the persistent feeling of inadequacy despite evidence of success.
It can be helpful to think that whenever you feel like you don’t deserve your victory, it’s not actually you making your mind think like this. You might actually be more capable than you think you are. No actual fraud will ever worry about themselves being a fraud. Competent people often experience these imposter feelings.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
This is the overwhelming kind of feeling you get whenever you stumble upon or think about your successes and achievements. It’s the feeling that you do not actually deserve those successes. Your mind tells you that you aren’t intelligent, creative, or as talented as you think you are, that you are just a really lucky person. It also might mean you have a fear of success or a fear of failure, both symptoms associated with mental health conditions such as social anxiety disorder.
It was identified first in 1978 by two psychologists who theorized that high achieving women were more uniquely affected by imposter syndrome than men. However, as the years passed, research suggests that BOTH men and women experience imposter syndrome. In fact, several studies including systematic reviews and literature reviews have explored its prevalence in academic settings, medical students, and even healthcare simulation educators. Learning about imposter syndrome meaning helps us better understand the root of these psychological struggles.
Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome
These feelings can be linked to those similar to self-doubting. Such as fearing failure, being a perfectionist, self-sabotage, and fear of success. Although it isn’t really something that stems from low confidence or a large amount of humility, it more on involves a fear of being exposed, isolated, and rejected.
Some researchers, like Valerie Young, have outlined various types of impostor syndrome personalities, such as the natural genius, the expert, the soloist, and others, who all feel unworthy in different ways. Studies using the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale and impostor phenomenon measurement scales help in measuring impostor phenomenon and its effects on mental health and performance in achievement related tasks.
It doesn’t have to be something that holds you back. If you learn how to master imposter syndrome in ways that can benefit you, you can be inspired to work harder and better. This can give you more success and recognition. However, you should be careful as the more you try, the more you feel like a fraud, which means you really have to know how to handle your emotions well.
Additionally, imposter syndrome has the power to hurt more than just an individual. Some teams and business are affected by a mass effect of imposter syndrome. This may create a negative message loop or a positive feedback loop depending on how it is handled. Leaders must be mindful of environmental factors, external factors, and family dynamics that could fuel perceived fraudulence in their employees. Recognizing personality traits and signs like repeated rejection and internalize failure can help leaders offer better support. Understanding imposter syndrome meaning can help managers support struggling team members with empathy.
Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome
The first step you have to take whenever overcoming imposter syndrome is realizing your feelings and recognizing that you are experiencing it. This is one of the hardest to do, but when you get it down, it becomes much easier to fix how you think and feel.
- Whenever you catch yourself doubting your capabilities, especially after you experience a successful moment or achieved something, linger on the feeling, and try to explain to yourself why you’re feeling this way and where it’s coming from. Reflecting will help a lot! In some cases, working with a mental health professional using cognitive processing therapy or group therapy may help address underlying mental health issues and mental disorders.
- One way you could counter it is thinking of specific affirmations and self-justifications that can uplift you more than bring you down. This will help in neutralizing the doubt and feelings of inadequacy. Self compassion can also play a big role in healing and developing personal achievement goal orientation.
- Reaching out and talking to people is one of the things that you can do as a way to counter the self-doubt you feel. You might even find people who feel the same way and both of you can reflect on each other’s actions. Ultimately proving to yourselves that maybe the inadequacy isn’t as accurate as your mind makes it out to be. Successful women and men across many industries experience anxiety and secret thoughts of feeling like a fraud.
- You also have to understand that in life, there is always balance in the things that happen in your life. There are some things that you genuinely excel at, and some that you aren’t good at, and that’s okay. What’s important is that you know where both your personal strengths and weaknesses lie so you know what things you really should be worrying about.
- Whenever you succeed in something, accept and own it. Refrain from putting yourself down after you’ve just achieved something good. Remind yourself that it happened because of the effort you put into it, your skills and talents, and that you made it happen. The more you do this, the more the success will feel genuine for you. Don’t let mental health stigma stop you from believing in your natural talents.
What more can you do?
You might be more susceptible to imposter syndrome if you’re in an environment you don’t feel as comfortable in. If you really want to improve yourself more because you’re doubting yourself and feel like your skills are inadequate, why not go for improving your skills instead of dwelling on the feeling of failing?
The diagnostic and statistical manual does not list impostor syndrome as an official disorder, but it is increasingly being considered in clinical psychology and general internal medicine studies. Tools like exploratory critical discourse analysis and polynomial regression analysis have been used to explore gender differences, perceived learning environment, and its effects on medical education.
If you feel inadequate whenever people give you compliments, when your boss promotes you or in this case, if you’re given a raise watch this video. You can learn to battle your imposter syndrome with something that can make you feel redeemable and self-achieved. Taking steps like being open to positive feedback and tackling your next task with more confidence can really help.
At Yellow Tail tech, we only want to help you be the best version of yourself. If you see yourself having a job in the Linux and AWS industry, we have programs you can read about on our website that can help you figure out you need. Book a 10-minute intro call with our Enrollment Advisor today for a future with plenty of opportunities available!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Imposter Syndrome and who experiences it?
Imposter Syndrome is the persistent feeling of doubt or fraudulence despite real success. People with it believe they don't deserve their achievements and fear being exposed as a “fake.” It often affects high achievers, including professionals in tech, academics, and leaders, regardless of gender. - What are the common signs or symptoms of Imposter Syndrome?
Symptoms include self-doubt, fear of failure or success, perfectionism, self-sabotage, and dismissing accomplishments as “luck.” These feelings are rooted in the fear of being exposed, rejected, or not living up to others' expectations. - How can I overcome Imposter Syndrome?
Start by recognizing the feeling when it happens. Practice self-reflection, use affirmations, and talk openly with trusted peers. Accept compliments, own your achievements, and remind yourself your success is due to your effort and ability. In some cases, therapy or support groups may help. - How does Yellow Tail Tech help with Imposter Syndrome?
Yellow Tail Tech supports students by helping them build real skills, gain confidence through hands-on training, and connect with a supportive community. By improving your expertise in Linux and AWS, you replace self-doubt with proven competence and growth.
