Why I feel like a fraud
blog.asmartbear.com
Why I feel like a fraud
1–10 of 78 posts
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#2Just because there's a name for feeling like a fraud even if you aren't one, doesn't meant you aren't one! I felt like a fraud in graduate school and it turned out I was one.
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#3This reminds me of http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1902892 , in a way.
I wonder if it's the obsession with metrics that makes engineers act in such a self-deprecating manner? I know I certainly do this, too...
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#4Wow, I had no idea such feelings were so common. I've largely felt like this for the last couple years, as I've gone from "that weird kid that does something with computers" to "startup founder" (and now back in a real job again, which has been an odd (and refreshing) adjustment, but that's a subject for a post of its own). While I can recognize that I'm doing cool things, I just don't feel like it's that big a deal; when someone acts like something is actually a big deal, I feel like I'm overselling it. Hard to explain, but it's nice to see that I'm not the only one in the community that feels this way.
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#5hn rerun. Orignal thread with comments:
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#6Just because there's a name for feeling like a fraud even if you aren't one, doesn't meant you aren't one! I felt like a fraud in graduate school and it turned out I was one.
Exactly - how can we be sure that our feelings aren't in fact real or just the cause of some paranoia?
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#7Holy shit.
I thought this was just me. I spend a lot of time churning on this.
I'm a little shell-shocked at the revelation that others feel this way too. I wish I had something more compelling to contribute than catharsis, but... wow, thanks for (re-)submitting this.
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#8I like this idea that if you don't feel like an imposter, you're probably not challenging yourself enough. It rings true with my experience starting a blog without much design or web experience (http://wayofthescholar.com) and diving into neuroscience research without any neuroscience background. The most I feel like a fraud, the more I'm forced to find smart ways to figure out where I'm at and where I need to head next.
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#9I think anyone who experiences some success sort of feel like a fraud. I know I do. I think it's a common thing.
Re: Why I feel like a fraud
#10Holy shit. I thought this was just me. I spend a lot of time churning on this. I'm a little shell-shocked at the revelation that others feel this way too. I wish I had something more compelling to contribute than catharsis, but... wow, thanks for (re-)submitting this.
I'm there too. I often measure myself against the fact that Einstein invented the theory of relativity in his early 20s. Meanwhile, I'm 30 now with a Masters degree in CS that I feel is worthless, writing what amounts to string concatenating programs all day at work.
The only thing that keeps me sane, really, is a combination of doing iphone development after hours and playing with arduino. It also helps that I have an amazing wife who is unrelenting in pointing out my accomplishments, however worthless I may think they are.