2024-02-15 04:40:00
I am afraid of others evaluating me. I feel that my achievements have been the result of chance. I’m afraid that important people will find out that I’m not as capable as they think. I’m sure what I want to say will seem silly to you. Anyone can do this… There are endless phrases that reflect imposter syndrome. Even Meryl Streep has recognized herself in them. This phenomenon was described in 1978 by the American clinical psychologists Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes. They then defined it as an intense feeling of falsehood regarding the image of competence that is experienced by people with a high academic level. According to statistics, up to 50% of people who have recognition live with these sensations. In 2000, Joan Harvey and her collaborators also associated it with certain personality traits, such as high self-demand and self-criticism, high perfectionism and a low level of self-pity.
Those who feel this way tend to believe themselves responsible for mistakes and hate praise. When they receive praise, they perceive that their achievements are a matter of luck or the result of no one noticing their shortcomings. They are considered a fraud because they are playing a role that does not correspond to them. They are afraid of failure and deny their abilities, sometimes unconsciously. To compensate for the fear of defeat, they over-prepare everything or procrastinate by making a huge final effort. This phenomenon occurs more in competitive environments and has been studied, for example, in the health field by doctors Montserrat González Estecha and Ángeles Martínez Hernanz.
It is appropriate to differentiate between an occasional sensation and the situation becoming something constant, even disabling. An alarm indicator is that no achievement is sufficient, which causes chronic dissatisfaction, or that the high demands go beyond the professional sphere and affect the social or family sphere. If stress levels become too high, there is a risk to physical health.
Some studies have found that this symptom affects women more, which is why the term has become popular as imposter syndrome. Gender roles make them suffer more from this problem when they are placed in leadership positions traditionally linked to men. The origin of this painting and its greatest impact among women may have historical roots. Women and Power, by historian Mary Beard, shows how, since ancient civilizations, women were relegated to a secondary role that is still difficult to break. The syndrome appears in adolescence and becomes more acute at certain times in adult life, such as during motherhood, when a double effort has to be made to demonstrate one’s professional worth.
In books such as The Impostor Syndrome: Why do women still not believe in themselves?, by Cadoche and Montarlot, or I won’t do it right, by Emma Vallespinós, some recommendations are proposed to combat this syndrome. The first thing would be to identify it and detect what triggers it. Then, soften the self-criticism and analyze how inaccurate certain evaluations are, comparing them with the opinions of others. This is how we manage to question language, which is the repository of our prejudices, as the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie points out. It is also advisable to cultivate self-knowledge and realize your own abilities and strengths. Working on false feelings of guilt and increasing compassion for our failures would be another objective. It is also useful to reduce compulsive work habits, accept praise and know how to enjoy what you do. Raising awareness regarding gender biases on an individual and collective level is also essential as it helps to recognize and overcome one’s own.
In the business and organizational field, this syndrome can be combated with participatory leadership through people with open, creative and transformational attitudes. Committing to healthy leadership styles fosters trust and cooperation and combats competitive judgments and prejudices, which discourage the most prudent and sensitive people from getting involved at the most responsible levels. Another alternative would be to encourage mentoring. Tomás Chamorro collects in Why do so many incompetent men become leaders? that, in personnel selection, evaluators usually focus on qualities such as confidence, charisma and self-assurance and very little on competence or humility. Focusing on these latter characteristics would reduce coercive contexts. Another useful measure would be for organizations to implement gender equality policies, the promotion of diversity in decision-making, conciliation and equal remuneration, as Professor Helena Legido points out.
With a view to future leaders, it would be interesting to look for role models and mentors who help women support each other, take risks, if they want, but can also accept that one has the right to continue being one of the crowd without feeling like it. an impostor
Patricia Fernández Martín is a clinical psychologist at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid.
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