I often struggle with a bit of imposter syndrome (“a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud“), as do many people. It can feel like a bad thing, but I find that it has quite a bit of power.
I see a few ways that it can be beneficial:
- As I shared a few years ago, it can help us to keep working on our skills. If you know you can be better, you’re more likely to keep pushing forward. It’s the opposite (the Dunning-Krueger Effect) that can slow us down.
- It makes you more willing to receive feedback. Along the lines of the previous point, if you already think you’ve got things down, you’re unlikely to listen very closely to advice. However, if you’re feeling a bit imposter-ish, advice can be exactly what you seek.
Imposter syndrome and doubts can certainly spiral into a bad place, so I’m not suggesting you should beat yourself up all the time. However, knowing your limits and seeking to expand them is often a great place to push.
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