• Google AI Overview

Imposter syndrome is a psychological experience where individuals doubt their own skills and accomplishments and fear being exposed as a “fraud,” despite external evidence of their competence. It’s often accompanied by persistent self-doubt, with people attributing their success to luck or external factors rather than their own abilities. Common signs include downplaying achievements, overworking, and a fear of failure. 

Key characteristics

• Persistent self-doubt: A deep-seated feeling of not being good enough, regardless of achievements.
• Fear of being exposed: The belief that you are a fake and that others will eventually find out.
• Attributing success to external factors: Believing that success is due to luck, timing, or “fooling” people, rather than your own hard work and skills.
• Difficulty accepting praise: An inability to internalize compliments or recognize your own accomplishments. 

Common signs and behaviors

• Overworking: Putting in excessive effort to compensate for perceived inadequacies.
• Perfectionism: Setting impossibly high standards for yourself and feeling like a failure if you don’t meet them.
• Downplaying accomplishments: Minimizing your successes or crediting them to things outside your control.
• Fear of failure: An intense anxiety that any mistake will expose you as incompetent. 

Who it affects

• It can affect anyone, but it is particularly common among high-achievers and ambitious individuals.
• It is also linked to external factors like systemic discrimination, bias, and exclusive workplace environments.
• For women, societal messages that they don’t belong in certain positions have been identified as a factor, especially in the early research on the topic.