This cat is a cat. It never asks itself if it is a cat. It never questions whether it is a cat. It may not have the capacity to do so and that is a relief.
We are human beings. We do not question that. There is no one to question whether or not we are humans. So we never behave in any other way than humans behave.
But we have roles, assignments, positions, responsibilities. We assign titles to one another, titles that bring a general understanding of certain abilities and qualifications. For instance, a teacher will need a teacher’s certificate. A doctor requires a doctorate degree, in the specific area of practice.
I have seen imposters, people who were given a role, along with a title, but did not have the qualifications that are generally assumed by the public to accompany that position. Sometimes they failed and let down the people they were to serve. Some were never found out, or confronted regarding their lack of qualification.
Locally a lab technician was discovered to never have received the necessary certification for his job. We’ve heard similar stories. The subject makes for spell binding novels of cunning and deceit. But in real life there are victims, people who are defrauded and sometime injured or suffer loss of some sort.
The matter of “imposter syndrome” is a behind the scenes issue that takes place in the privacy of our hearts. There is a difference between being an imposter and thinking you may be an imposter.
Someone who is an imposter knows they are engaged in deceiving the public.
Someone who has an “imposter syndrome” feels like an imposter and thinks they may be one. This is a very unhealthy place to be because it is an unresolved conflict and may include personal deception, or definitely a level of uncertainty about the truth. It’s very important, for this reason, to establish whether you are an imposter or not.
You are an imposter if you are presenting a false front, or a misrepresentation of who you are, namely, what you are responsible for and your qualifications. If I say I am a counsellor but have no training in counselling, I am an imposter.
But suppose I am trained to be a counsellor, but I am not a very good counsellor. Am I an imposter? I might feel like one.
Or suppose I have a job where people rely on me for delivery of a service and I have to learn as I go. This is where imposter syndrome can kick in and you begin to doubt yourself.
Imposter syndrome is about self-doubt. An actual imposter has false or misplaced confidence. He might have confidence in his title, when he ought to have confidence in his skills.
To resolve an “imposter syndrome” requires honesty. The question to ask is, why do I feel this way? Do you lack skills? Have you been given responsibility above your abilities? Are you simply lacking in confidence?
It can be helpful to compare yourself with others in your field. Are there people capable and less capable who have a similar role or title? Are you failing anyone? Are you being deceptive?
This is required of me. This is what I am doing. These are my skills and capabilities. This is what I deliver. Clarify all of the above in your mind.
If you are a counsellor and you have had adequate training, you will not know everything when you start out and you may have the sense that you are an imposter. However, what you really are is a counsellor with training, learning to become skillful. Probably the most helpful way to address imposter syndrome is by acknowledging that we are on a path to improvement. But if you don’t know anything about counselling, or very little, and you take your clients’ money, knowing you are not helping them, then I would say that a feeling of imposter syndrome might fit.
What do you do if the label fits? Well, you either get “out”, or you get “fit.” Deception is killing you and harming others.
What about if you are taking more money than you think is appropriate for what you are delivering? You feel uneasy. You are presenting ‘value’ that you don’t feel is an accurate representation. This can be tricky, because of markets. Is what you are offering rare? Are others around you charging the same price? Artists, for example, often charge less than their work is worth, and feel like “imposters.” They feel like they are not really artists and their art is not worth the higher price. For some the opposite can also be true, with an inflated sense of the value of their work. However, an artist can ask any price for their art. The beauty of being an artist is that people see up front what they are getting. They are not required to buy. And they can refuse to pay if they don’t think the price matches the talent.
If you are offering a service and you are not very good at it in the beginning, then acknowledge this. You are not an imposter. You are a person on a path of improvement. The tricky part is when we have to present ourselves as more than we are in order to get the job or the contract. I knew a woman who called herself an interior designer but had no formal training. However she did excellent work. She knew she had the qualifications. She did not misrepresent herself in the country in which she lived. She delivered. But the same would be questioned if it was in the medical field.
Take a look at politicians. I think they must often feel like imposters because there is no specific education or training to qualify them to have to get elected.
Imposter syndrome, in my estimation, has to do with integrity. Are you offering what you say you are offering? Can you deliver? If you can, then own it.
I can relate more to the imposter syndrome when I was younger and inexperienced. I smile when I remember myself at nineteen, legally an adult. I was disturbed by the fact I didn't feel like an adult.