Imposter Syndrome and Low Confidence

Hmmmmm, lately I’ve been thinking about impostor syndrome and low confidence. These related, yet different, topics have been rumbling around in my thoughts for a while and I finally decided to write about it.

I’ve been wondering about their differences and similarities. Even though I’m familiar with both topics, I wasn’t entirely sure about the distinction between the two. I had my own ideas but wanted to look further by doing some research. My guess was that it’s a fine line between the two.

Let me know what you think. Is the line between them thin or do you think they’re distinctly different from each other? Drop your thoughts in the chat.

Here's some of what I found:

? IMPOSTER SYNDROME is the persistent feeling of self-doubt and the fear of being found out as a “fraud.” Even though you have a track record of success you still feel like someday someone is going to discover you’re just faking it. There’s also the feeling that your success is due more to luck than your skills, expertise, and experience. Perfectionism is another persistent feeling which can make you set super high standards for yourself and cause you to over prepare for situations. Then there’s how you downplay your own achievements by chalking them up to luck or timing or by thinking/saying, “anyone could have done it.” And speaking of achievements, imposter syndrome is particularly prevalent among high achievers. That’s because high achievers tend to attribute their success to external factors (right place, right time) than their own abilities. All of this adds up to chronic feelings of inadequacy, stress, burnout, and anxiety.

If you relate to any of that, don’t worry. You’ve got lots of company. It’s estimated that 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at one time or another. I know I have. I remember one time I had just accepted a job offer at a new company. It was a bigger job, for bigger pay, at a bigger company. I felt like an imposter and just knew once I got in there, they’d find out they made a mistake. That they shouldn’t have hired me. If you can believe it, I even contemplated calling my soon-to-be boss to double-confirm that he really wanted to hire me! Thank goodness I didn’t make that call.

? LOW CONFIDENCE is a lack of belief in your ability to step up to a challenge, pursue a goal, or navigate a risk. You’re afraid you won’t be successful. Low confidence can make you avoid opportunities, challenges, or situations where you have to prove yourself. There’s also the tendency to compare yourself unfavorably against others which can make you feel inadequate and not good enough. It’s a vicious cycle because that negative comparison only reinforces feelings of low confidence. Feelings of low confidence can cause you to avoid risks and be reluctant about setting ambitious goals because of the fear of failing. That can make you feel stuck in place, which never feels good. Then there’s a tendency to avoid feedback for fear you’ll be criticized which only confirms your feelings of low confidence. Negative past experiences such as failures, criticisms, and lack of support from others also fuel feelings of low confidence.

All of this can lead to feeling frustrated, inadequate, unhappy, and stressed.

Again, if any of that sounds like you, welcome to the club! I’m happy to have your company.

While I see myself as a fairly confident person, I do recognize that in certain situations or when I’m around certain people my confidence indeed slips. Sometimes even more than I’d like to admit! I can relate to being reluctant to set a big goal, comparing myself to others, or taking a risk.

In simple terms, both imposter syndrome and low confidence involve self-doubt. What’s different is that imposter syndrome is tied to feelings of being a fraud (despite objective evidence to the contrary) and that at any moment you’re on the brink of being found out. On the other hand, low confidence is not necessarily tied to a specific achievement but more broadly is about the lack of belief in your abilities.

?So, what do you think?What do you think are the similarities and differences between imposter syndrome and low confidence? Agree or disagree with anything I’ve shared? While I’ve looked into the topics, I’m interested in your opinion. Drop them in the chat.