I have issues. Imposter Syndrome is not one of them.
I don’t drink enough water. I am working on it. Oh, and I don’t spell well. Not because I can’t, it’s because my brain moves quickly. I am focused on the concept, not the form. I am also grammatically creative, not because I don’t know the rules. It’s because I find them limiting, despite my subscription to Grammarly. This means there are tables without a seat for me, rooms I am not welcome in, and groups who likely shun me. Seriously, some people love the King’s English, and it rankles.
Whatever the table, room, or group I have found myself a part of, I have always focused on my purpose for being there. Access, acceptance, or belonging are not part of my mindset or need. I find these elsewhere. Whether it’s my faith, naivete, or delusion, I do not identify (at this point in my life) with the condition.
Delusion be damned. I took the test above to verify my claim.
Have I ever been insecure? Sure. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. I recently found an old journal. I recognized my handwriting but not the emotions. I knew I was struggling but worked through it and left it there. Imposter Syndrome is a feeling, not a medical diagnosis.
Everyone does not suffer from Imposter Syndrome.
Essentially, Imposter Syndrome centers around feelings of insecurity, competency, or worth. The term emerged in 1970 and has been trending.
It always happens. Something old becomes new. People become legitimately curious. Some learn just enough to sound knowledgeable. To the extreme, others become instant experts, complete with mass diagnosis and pop prescriptions. Misplaced empathy creates eggshell strategies for addressing women and people of color, some of whom are mistakenly typecast. I have heard it said far too often, “Everyone has Imposter Syndrome.” — which is simply not true.
While I don’t have Imposter Syndrome now, could I develop it later? Sure, if it’s like a cold. I am sure I could catch it. But the trick to avoiding colds is good hygiene and a healthy immune system. In this case, the key to immunity is a healthy mindset.
Perhaps I have become immune to imposter syndrome because I shook off striving for expertise. I am “Life’s Student” with an insatiable curiosity. It would be hard for me to carry this curiosity and the burden of feeling like an imposter. Perhaps I am immune because I stopped comparing myself to others. I compete with myself. Or, although I am an eternal student, I am not living for grades or accolades. I live for impact.
A wise friend once said to me, “You are every age you have ever been.” This is freedom. It means I can be the person who wrote those long-forgotten emotion-filled journal pages. I am also the person who can admit what she does not know and is free from the weight of comparison.
Expertise is overrated unless you are my doctor, and even they call what they do practice. Too often, people hide behind expertise to avoid staying relevant. My brilliance is in my posture to learn, grow and apply that knowledge. How can I be an imposter when I am simply evolving?
I maintain empathy for those who suffer from these feelings. Please be gentle with yourselves.
See this Article for More Insight.
