Le impostor syndrome, also called autodidact syndrome, induces a form of unhealthy doubt in the people who are victims of it. These doubts lead them to deny ownership of any accomplishment, whether professional or private. According to this theory, victims therefore tend to systematically reject the merit linked to their work and attribute their success to external elements such as luck, hard work, their relationships, certain exceptionally favorable circumstances …

These persons constantly doubt, and believe they are fooling their colleagues, their friends, their superiors: they live in fear of being unmasked from one moment to the next. 

The term was coined in 1978 by two psychologists, Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, who have since deplored the misuse of their concept. In fact, they never mentioned a “syndrome” but rather ” experience “, that everyone could one day be faced with.

It is therefore not a question of a “disease” but rather of a “psychological mechanism”, according to the details of the author.

Impression of deceiving, bad attributions, fear of being unmasked: the mechanism provokes various feelings. It can concern the professional fields but also the family field, the circle of the leisures, the physical appearance.

Between 62 and 70% of the population have experienced it at least once.

Contrary to what psychologist R. Clance first claimed, there is no no gender difference : the man can suffer from it as much as the woman.

Defense strategies / Symptoms

The fear of being unmasked pushes the impostor to focus defense strategies. It is these strategies that are likely to harm the health of individuals.

We generally note:

• The investment of too much energy andtoo much working time in relation to the requested task. This allows the individual to attribute their eventual success to a large amount of work and not to their actual skills, with the risk of suffering, in the long run, a burn-out.
• La preparation for failure, with motivation and investment deliberately slowed down. This strategy avoids confrontation with congratulations from the individual’s colleagues, but does not contribute to fulfillment. 

“Normal” reaction to success : Pride, personal satisfaction, efficiency, competence, adapted and deserved attributions.

Reaction that may sound like impostor syndrome : Strong involvement, humility, strong modesty.

Reaction related to impostor syndrome : Anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, negative affects.

Psychologist Pauline Clance has developed a psychological test to find out how affected you are by the mechanism. Here is the translation:

For each question, circle the number that indicates the degree of truth of the underlying statement.

1. I have often passed tests or tasks when I initially thought I was incapable.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

2. I can give the impression that I am more competent than I really am.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

3. I avoid evaluations if possible: I fear the evaluations of others towards me.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

4. When someone rewards me for something I have accomplished, I fear that I will not live up to their future expectations.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

5. I sometimes think I got my current position because I was there in the right place at the right time.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

6. I’m afraid that the people important to me will find out that I am not as good as they think I am.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

7. I tend to remember projects where I didn’t give my best.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

8. I rarely embark on a project or task even though I really want to.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

9. Sometimes I feel that my success is the result of several coincidences.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

10. It is difficult for me to accept compliments that relate to my intelligence or my successes.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

11. Sometimes I think that if I am successful now, it is because I have been lucky.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

12. I often think I could have done better, and therefore I am disappointed with my successes.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

13. Sometimes I fear that others will find out about my shortcomings.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

14. I am often afraid of failing in a new task entrusted to me.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

15. I often think that I will fail to recognize success in another project.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

16. If I receive kudos and recognition for something I have accomplished, I tend to downplay the importance of what I have done.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

17. I often compare my abilities to those of the people around me and think they may be smarter than me.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

18. I often worry that I won’t be successful even though everyone knows I’m going to shine.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

19. When I am about to receive a promotion, I wait until the last moment to announce it, in case it ultimately does not happen.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

20. I feel disheartened if I am not “the best” in situations that involve being successful.

1) False 2) Rarely 3) Sometimes 4) Often 5) Very true

Add up the numbers associated with your answers.

If the score is less than 40, you only have a few characteristics of the impostor.

If the score is between 40 and 60, you experience impostor syndrome quite often.

If the score is over 60, Impostor Syndrome frequently interferes with your life, and you may suffer from it both mentally and physically.

The main treatment consists of regain confidence and be realistic about its value. Here is a list of questions that may be useful to answer to take stock of yourself objectively.

1) What makes me unique?

2) What are my main talents?

3) Is my work related to this talent?

4) Is my work consistent with my values?

5) What were my last successes?

Another technique is to write a letter or email with regard to several trusted persons, in which the recipients are asked to indicate the three main qualities of the sender, and the three areas in which he can progress.

Most people don’t like negative reviews and therefore avoid asking these kinds of questions of others. They miss out on valuable information about their strengths and weaknesses, making it difficult for them to both build on their strengths and stop doubting.

Email model:

Dear [his first name],

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this email. This is not an obvious message for me to send, but it is extremely important to me. So I would very much appreciate it if you would spend some time reading it (and hopefully responding to it).

This message is only intended for a group of people you trust. Each of you knows me well and will give me, sincerely, I hope, your opinion on my strengths and, especially my real weaknesses, or rather the areas where I could improve.

It’s the first time I’ve done this kind of thing, but I feel that in order to improve myself, to stop constantly doubting myself, I need to have an objective opinion.

And I beg you, don’t spare me or embellish reality: I won’t feel offended no matter what you write.

Thanks again,

[Your first name]

« Ask people from different backgrounds what they think of you. Each of them will tell you one thing that will benefit you » Steve Jobs.