Google "imposter syndrome"
Well, to be fair, some people that have imposter syndrome are actually imposters.
Not implying this applies to OP, but in general.
Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
11–20 of 191 posts
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#12Life is too short to spend it like that. Find a team that accepts you as you are and is willing to grow with you. The learning available from coworkers like that is not positive growth.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#13Basically, intelligence is a speed of processing. Assumedly every human being, given enough time, would be able to solve the same set of problems. The thing is that we only have 80 years to solve them! And also, there are more problems to be solved than anybody can in this small time frame, even with a IQ of 1000 (speed of processing). Now what does that mean for the slower minds, in a competitive environment? You ca…
> The faster guys will often grow bored with a single problem and will have to skip from one problem to another (ADHD, etc). This is your opportunity: stay on the same problem longer than they can, and you will find solutions while they're busy approaching multiple other problems.
This.
Companies need a balance between 'move fast and break things' and 'keep things stable so we can make money'.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#141. Learn your work environment, your code, your company's business. This shouldn't take long, some months of close attention and you become maybe not a star, but a knowledgeable man who will get visitors coming and asking for advice regarding things you now know after all this time. Seen this happen to a guy, it was impressive, from a complete newbie he learned the whole thing he operated on and was a desired person to see for any sort of related question.
2. As junior you learn and grow up into senior. Seniors don't grow on trees. Well it can be harsh sometimes when people around are unhelpful, you can give up and drown or swim hard and float up.
3. Happens quite often. I was one for once, i was nice to others. Then i changed company and became equal to who are around me, lost the attitude. We have stars too.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#15Plot twist: nobody has a clue of what they're doing either.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#16Here's a different perspective: Don't compete along the dimension where you're outmatched. Sounds like you could win a lot of points by playing the grasshopper to their kung-fu master and act as the glue for the group working to gain a holistic view of the team. What other holes in their skillset can you fit in?
Holistic hole-filling is pretty much my secret sauce. I endorse this tactic.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#171. Act they way your Grandpa would have: with deference to their knowledge and a healthy dose of confidence (you did get hired by these people). There's a pecking order, and that's OK, but don't let the socially deficient define how you feel about yourself.
2. Sadly it's been the norm at both my jobs. It gets better after a while.
3. Yes and No. I've met some unbelievably smart people who are amazing teachers. "Rock Stars," however, are known for trashing dressing rooms. "Ninjas" are best known for backstabbing. And "stars" are divas.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#18Plot twist: nobody has a clue of what they're doing either.
Related: Some of us know where we're trying to go, though. Maybe.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#19Basically, intelligence is a speed of processing. Assumedly every human being, given enough time, would be able to solve the same set of problems. The thing is that we only have 80 years to solve them! And also, there are more problems to be solved than anybody can in this small time frame, even with a IQ of 1000 (speed of processing). Now what does that mean for the slower minds, in a competitive environment? You ca…
That's your definition of intelligence. You could solve problems quickly with a failure rate of 2%, but that 2% error actually kills off, deforms, or ostracizes 10% of your population, and that 10% contains 100% of what you need to solve your next set of problems. You destroy yourself by creating a definition of intelligence in the first place.
Yeah, so, I would have said it the other way around, myself: speed of processing is an intelligence. To be sure, I subscribe to the multiple-tracks-of-intelligence view.
Re: Ask HN: I am the dumbest person in the room. What should I do?
#20The environment you work in has a toxic culture that is absolutely hostile to junior level folks. Unfortunately, this is a sad state of affairs in our entire industry right now. You have to specifically look for environments where the management team is making a concerted effort to improve onboarding for new hires.
My suggestion would be to look for another gig. You learned a hard lesson about being humble and not inflating your ego during the crucial hiring process, but don't prolong this pain any longer.