Impostor syndrome is the internal psychological experience of (or the effect of) feeling like a phony or fraud in some area of your life, despite any success that you have achieved in that area. It involves a lot of self-doubts, even if you do well in your field. Apparently, around 70% of people suffer from imposter syndrome, which definitely makes sense. It’s hard to be in a profession that involves a lot of imposter syndrome, and it’s hard to get through something like that.
As a computer science major, even though I’m not in the profession yet, I’ve definitely had impostor syndrome. Sometimes, when I’m coding, I feel like I shouldn’t be doing it and feel like I’m not a good enough coder to do it as a career. Also, I sometimes sit in class and feel like I don’t know entirely what’s going on, but I figure it out eventually (or ask questions).
The article talks about what impostor syndrome is, and what sufferer of impostor syndrome experiences. They feel like they aren’t good enough and don’t realize their accomplishments. A lot of programmers deal with this, because many programmers do not know every language and as a result, struggle with impostor syndrome. Some of the ways the article says a sufferer of impostor syndrome can deal with it are by embracing it, keeping track of your achievements, and promoting teamwork and camaraderie. I feel like these suggestions could work, but sometimes it’s hard to get over. If you list all of your achievements, then you may start questioning if you deserved those achievements or not… or something else that puts you down even more.
I think a way to combat impostor syndrome is to talk to a therapist, because the problem is mainly in your head and you need to deal with that problem. A therapist can help you walk through what you’re feeling and hopefully help fix your impostor syndrome.
Sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469, Very Well Mind
