Humans are sensitive and emotional creatures. They either feel too much or too little. Generally, a person with the perfect balance of both of these feelings leads a happy and content life. While the lives of other normal humans oscillate in a pendulum with euphoria and depression at its two extremes. Most of us belong to the second category, where both these feelings of happiness and depression constitute a never-ending vicious cycle of life. There are times where we feel like we are on top of the world, while at other times, everything seems to be falling apart and, we feel like giving up on everything. I guess that is what makes us humans “humans.”
Talking about humans, every one of us is unique and, so is the mannerism in which we carry ourselves, especially emotionally. In this editorial, I’ll be talking about a special category of humans who think they are not so “special.”
Yes, you guessed it right! (The title gives it away) I will be talking about the people suffering from IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
WHAT IS IMPOSTER SYNDROME?
Do you ever feel this constant urge to prove yourself? Not necessarily to others but to yourself. Do self-doubts creep into your mind every time you see others excel? Even after winning a pile load of events and situations in your life, do you still somehow, somewhere, feel as if you’re not good enough and, maybe all your previous victories are nothing but a mere fluke?
Well, if your answers to the above questions are YES, then my friend, hi-five! We are on the same boat of people suffering from this condition which experts term as IMPOSTER SYNDROME or what psychologists often call Impostor Phenomenon.
By definition, “Imposter Syndrome (IS) refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent and worthy as others perceive you to be.”
While this definition is usually applied to traits like intelligence and being successful, it has further deeper links to perfectionism. Some believe that such a condition is nothing but a mere fallacy and a self-imposed hoax to cover up for their incompetency. But truth be told, such a condition exists and it is as real as it can possibly get. According to a 2020 review, 9%–82% of people experience impostor syndrome. Many experience symptoms for a limited time, such as in the first few weeks of a new job. For others, the experience can be lifelong.
BUT ALL IS NOT LOST:
Most of us will agree to the fact that having self-doubts and constantly criticizing yourself for even the slightest bit of incompetency can never be a good thing, right? Well, think again.
For some, impostor syndrome can fuel feelings of motivation to achieve and conquer. It usually comes at a cost in the form of constant anxiety and feelings of fraudulence. You might over-prepare or work much harder than obligatory to make sure that nobody finds out you are a fraud. This constant urge to excel in every field there is, making people belonging to this category highly competent and competitive at the same time. Now, this has got two facets to ponder over. Firstly, no matter how many times you win or excel in life, you will never really be satisfied with yourself. The second and positive side is that you never take things for granted. Every battle you fight, you tend to give everything you got irrespective of whether you win or not. At the end of it, even if you refuse to believe it, you have grown as an individual and acquired some serious set of skills.
NEED NOT WORRY… YOU ARE IN THE COMPANY OF ELITES!
If this condition begins to take a toll on your mental health, remember some of the most successful people today often feel like frauds in light of their achievements. To give you an idea, mentioned below are some names which are absolute Legends of their fields yet, they feel like they don’t belong there at the pinnacle.
➡Robert Pattinson ➡Emma Watson ➡Michelle Obama ➡Albert Einstein ➡Agatha Christie ➡Tom Hanks ➡Serena Williams ➡Howard Schultz ➡Lady Gaga ➡Natalie Portman
Don’t get the wrong idea here. The list doesn’t guarantee that you will make it to the list of elites. It’s more like a reminder that even the Best of BESTs suffered from this phenomenon and still made it to the top.
So why can’t you!? Acknowledge your fear, understand it, get comfortable existing in a space with it. In the end, remember that you are worthy.
“Worthy of being listened to and heard. Worthy of being respected and appreciated. Worthy of being missed and dream. Worthy of being loved and adored. Worthy of being craved and cared for.
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