A lot of high achievers deep down feel like complete frauds–their accomplishments the result of serendipitous luck. Impostor syndrome reflects a belief that you’re an inadequate and incompetent failure, despite evidence that indicates you’re skilled and quite successful.
It can also take various forms, depending on a person’s background, personality, and circumstances. If you’re familiar with the feeling of waiting for those around you to “find you out, ” it might be helpful to consider what type of impostor you are so you can problem - solve accordingly.
There are 5 forms of this syndrome, let’s have a look:
- The perfectionist - Perfectionists set excessively high goals for themselves, and when they fail to reach a goal, they experience major self - doubt and worry about measuring up. Whether they realize it or not, this group can also be control freaks, feeling like if they want something done right, they have to do it themselves.
Have you ever been accused of being a micro manager ? Do you have great difficulty delegating? Do you feel like your work must be 100% perfect, 100% of the time? If yes, you could fall in this category.
- The Super woman or man – These people feel they are not good enough like the people around them and work harder and harder to match up. But this is just a false cover - up for their insecurities, and the work overload may harm not only their own mental health, but also their relationships with others. Impostor workaholics are actually addicted to the validation that comes from working, not to the work itself.
Do you work late? Do you stress about wasting time? Have you given up on your hobbies and passions because you want to work harder to prove your worth? This may apply to you in that case.
- The Natural genius - People who struggle with this, who are also natural “geniuses, ” judge success based on their abilities as opposed to their efforts. In other words, if they have to work hard at something, they assume they must be bad at it. These types of impostors set their internal bar impossibly high.
Do you have a track record of getting gold medals or straight A’s? Were you always told that you are a smart kid? Do you feel like you are too smart to have a mentor? Does your confidence shamble when you face a setback? Do you avoid trying something you think you are not great at? Well, then you should definitely check yourself because this may apply to you.
- The Expert - People who fall into this competence type may feel like they somehow tricked their employer into hiring them. They deeply fear being exposed as inexperienced or un - knowledgeable.
Do you shy away from applying to job postings unless you meet every single educational requirement? Are you constantly seeking out training or certifications because you think you need to improve your skills in order to succeed? Do you constantly feel like you do not know enough? Well, you are definitely ‘The Expert’.
It’s true that there’s always more to learn. Striving to bulk up your skill set can certainly help you make strides professionally and keep you competitive in the job market. But taken too far, the tendency to endlessly seek out more information can actually be a form of procrastination.
Doubts on this article
