My opinion about 'Imposter Syndrome' is that it is a 'rite of passage'. As a person develops and moves up the scale he reaches the level of 'expert'. However, the 'new expert' doesn't have the wealth of knowledge and/or experience that an 'old expert' has. That makes them feel unworthy of their position. As the 'new expert' gains more and more knowledge and experience, that 'Imposter Syndrome' will fade away. I would…
Ask HN: How to Combat Imposter Syndrome?
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#15It does raise the second question though: why are you pushing yourself to be something you seem to not enjoy at all?
> I feel physically sick and often succumb to feelings of anxiety
This sounds pretty miserable. Are you sure these are the right roles for you to target?
Re: Ask HN: How to Combat Imposter Syndrome?
#162) at some point you start realizing that you are not the imposter, everyone is mediocre and just ignores it. You have been blessed with not being oblivious with your shortcomings, and even if you are doubting things you should not, even if it might seem like a curse, you're an improving human thanks to that.
3) when I freak out about whether I'm doing my job, at some point I usually realize that I am freaking out about whether I'm doing my job. When this happens, I tell myself: stop freaking out about whether you're doing your job and just do your f-ing job. It seems like you are very conscious about that so this might help
3.b) this is one of "the four agreements" which might help you: "always do your best". If you did your best, by definition there is nothing more you could have done. And therefore, no grudge you can hold unto yourself. After all, you did your best! What more can someone ask?
4) people are way, way more tolerant to failure than we give them credit for. I have been with companies that have very high standards and even there, screwing up is accepted as a fact of life as long as you learn from it. Just assume you're allowed to fail, with the current market, worst case scenario this will help you get another job in a better company
5) saw a tweet the other day of someone who changed their perspective from "I'm an imposter" to "of course I don't know what I'm doing, and I'm the freaking best con artist there is! I'm just faking all of it and no one has any idea,I'm so good at it!". Maybe that helps, at least it made me laugh.
Re: Ask HN: How to Combat Imposter Syndrome?
#171) doubting yourself is what pushes you to learn new stuff, leave room for others to express and learn from them. I've had a fairly rapidly progressing career and I attribute a large part to that. Don't lose it. 2) at some point you start realizing that you are not the imposter, everyone is mediocre and just ignores it. You have been blessed with not being oblivious with your shortcomings, and even if you are doubtin…
Point 1/2 - self-doubt = recognition of scope to improve - I like that. That resonates a lot with me.
Point 3/3b - This is a feedback loop that I can see working. My ill-thought often comes from not nipping in the bud issues of self-doubt.
Point 5 - saw this too. Enjoyed it a lot!
I think from this I see these actions: - look up “the four agreements” - that’s new to me but a quick wiki says it’s something that I’ll probably enjoy - make a flow chart, stick it above my desk starting with “are you having a wobble?” if “yes” then what do you want to add to your learning list for later - leading on to… - curb rampant knowledge building in an attempt to avoid problems, and instead just do the job, find the problems, and then learn what you don’t know
Re: Ask HN: How to Combat Imposter Syndrome?
#18Re: Ask HN: How to Combat Imposter Syndrome?
#19Is this related to the Imposter Syndrome? Perhaps, simply put, you just don't like posting on social media or launching internal campaigns? I don't like talking in public because I always think that what I have to say is of little importance, but I don't think that's "Imposter Syndrome", it's just that I don't like to talk in public.