impostor syndrome
Feeling secretly unqualified
Impostor syndrome is the persistent feeling that you're a fraud—that your achievements are undeserved and you'll eventually be exposed as incompetent.
Despite evidence of success, people with impostor syndrome attribute their accomplishments to luck or timing rather than ability: Even after the promotion, impostor syndrome kept telling her she didn't belong.
The term emerged from psychology but now appears broadly in discussions of workplace anxiety and self-doubt.
State of being insufficient
- insecurityUncertainty about oneself
- self-questioningProbing one's own thoughts
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- inferiorityLower status or quality
hesitation · self-criticism · vulnerability · self-consciousness · diffidence · timidity · underestimating · second-guessing
Simulating what isn't real
- fakingSimulating something false
- performingExecuting an action
- hidingStaying out of sight
- concealingKeeping something secret
overcompensating · overworking · overpreparing · people-pleasing · code-switching · fitting in · blending in · facade
Favorable outcome attained
- accomplishmentSuccessful completion of aim
- promotionRank increase or publicity
- recognitionPerceiving something as known
- milestoneNotable event marking progress
award · qualification · expertise · overachiever · credentials · competence · accolades · first-generation
Emotional response to threat
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- worryTroubled mental state
- overwhelmDefeat by excess
dread · apprehension · unease · panic · tension · restlessness · exposure · hypervigilance
Chance affecting outcomes
- flukeChance stroke of luck
- timingArt of choosing moments
- accidentUnintended harmful event
- circumstanceCondition affecting an event
coincidence · connections · unearned · undeserved · mistake · oversight · quota · affirmative action
inadequacy
State of being insufficient
- insecurityUncertainty about oneself
- self-questioningProbing one's own thoughts
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
inferiority · hesitation · self-criticism · vulnerability · self-consciousness · diffidence · timidity · underestimating · second-guessing · unworthiness
pretending
Simulating what isn't real
- fakingSimulating something false
- performingExecuting an action
- hidingStaying out of sight
concealing · overcompensating · overworking · overpreparing · people-pleasing · code-switching · fitting in · blending in · facade · persona
success
Favorable outcome attained
- accomplishmentSuccessful completion of aim
- promotionRank increase or publicity
- recognitionPerceiving something as known
milestone · award · qualification · expertise · overachiever · credentials · competence · accolades · first-generation · career advancement
fear
Emotional response to threat
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- worryTroubled mental state
overwhelm · dread · apprehension · unease · panic · tension · restlessness · exposure · hypervigilance · anticipation
luck
Chance affecting outcomes
circumstance · coincidence · connections · unearned · undeserved · mistake · oversight · quota · affirmative action · tokenism
- insecuritiesinsecurity, self-doubt, low self-esteem, inadequacy, inferiority
- self-doubtinsecurity, inadequacy, low self-esteem, self-criticism, self-doubt
- SyndromesGuillain-Barre, restless leg, irritable bowel, IBS, chronic fatigue
- inner turmoilinner turmoil, inner conflict, inner struggle, self-doubt, indecision
- cognitive biasesconfirmation bias, anchoring bias, negativity bias, framing effect, optimism bias
- mental modelsanchoring, confirmation bias, hindsight bias, Occam's razor, first principles
impostor syndromeDunning-Kruger effect
Novices overestimate their abilities
overconfidence · grandiosity · delusions of grandeur · narcissism · superiority complex
impostor syndromeself-assurance
Confidence in one's abilities
self-confidence · confidence · self-efficacy · swagger · cockiness