Impostor Syndrome: When You Burden Your Own Mind
The term ‘impostor syndrome’ first appeared in 1978, in an article by psychologists Pauline R Clance and Suzanne A Imes. Impostor syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. It involves feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite your education, experience, and accomplishments. A person with impostor syndrome also keeps an idea that he/she has succeeded not because of his/her talent but luck.
Dr. Valerie Young, an expert on the subject, divides the five different types of impostor syndrome:
1. The Perfectionist
Perfectionists refer to people who always set high goals for themselves. Then, when they fail to achieve the goals, they will have great doubts and be very anxious. Just as the name, the perfectionist always wants the results they work on to end perfectly.
2. The Superman/woman
People who fall into this group can be said to be people who yearn for validation. They will tend to always look around and feel that they have to be the best of all. Sometimes they have to fake themselves to look ‘super’. In fact, this will actually burden them mentally and strain their relationship with those around them.
3. The Natural Genius
Similar to perfectionists, but this group emphasizes more on speed. Not only about achieving high goals, these people also set the time ‘the sooner the better’. They are people who always want to succeed in one try and consider failure is something very shameful.
4. The Soloist
These people are always focused on ‘who’. They always want themselves to be the best one and do everything themselves. They do not want to ask other people for help, and if that happens, they will consider it a failure or something to be ashamed of.
5. The Expert
They are people who crave knowledge. They always judge everything by ‘what’ and ‘how much’. These people often feel that they do not know enough and they are very afraid of being seen as ignorant. It is good to keep learning, but if it is too much and only for themselves then it will only continue to be a burden.
If you feel that you are part of one of these types, then it is time for you to start being aware of that symptom and try to change it before everything takes you to a more extreme level. You must realize that perfection is impossible. You just need to work and learn, by still believing and being proud of yourself.
-Northern Ingo-
