Curing Imposter Syndrome
Essay. 900 words, 5-minute read.
Curing Imposter Syndrome
By Ray Tabler.
To quote that paragon of accuracy and objectivity, Wikipedia,
“…Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon or impostorism, is a psychological experience in which a person suffers from feelings of intellectual and/or professional fraudulence. One source defines it as “the subjective experience of perceived self-doubt in one’s abilities and accomplishments compared with others, despite evidence to suggest the contrary”…”
There you have it. It’s all in your head. Essay done…
Well, not quite. Schizophrenia is also all in your head. Not in your head, I hope. But pointing this out to someone—that schizophrenia, or any other psychological condition, is neatly contained within the cranium—seems profoundly unhelpful. Might as well observe that heart disease is all in your arteries, or gingivitis is all in your mouth.
I’m not a psychiatrist, so I’ll leave schizophrenia to the experts. But I have had some experience with imposter syndrome. The affliction is practically endemic to people blessed, and cursed, with creativity. That’s all in your head too. Troublesome things personalities can be. Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran have both publicly spoken about their insecurities, despite undeniable global acclaim. Franz Kafka asked his friend to burn his unpublished works, including The Metamorphosis, because he thought them trash. Maya Angelou, Agatha Cristie, and John Steinbeck all confessed they didn’t think their books deserved the critical and financial success earned. Obviously, talent and immunity to imposter syndrome do not correlate.
There is no pharmaceutical remedy for imposter syndrome, short of copious quantities of alcohol, administered orally. That’s a joke, not a serious suggestion. Because imposter syndrome can be a serious and debilitating condition. It robs people of the pride and joy in their achievements, real accomplishments on the page, on the stage, or in the office.
And the creative should be proud. Studies show that while something like 82% of people think they have a book in them, fewer than 15% ever start typing. Less than 5% finish the task. Lack of focus and dedication may account for a lot of that winnowing, but I suspect imposter syndrome plays a role as well. The prospective author probably fears that his story isn’t worth finishing, or even starting. So, if you are an author of with little to no success, realize that you have struck a blow against imposter syndrome simply by putting words to paper. Bask in the achievement. Reflect upon how you slayed that dragon once, and could do it again.
Perhaps the issue is one of metrics. The world applies an interacting scale of aesthetic and monetary value to a given creative endeavor. Artistic and financial success don’t always align, but that is a subject for a different essay. The author, the artist, however, unavoidably evaluates the completed work compared to the Platonic ideal in his imagination. Spoiler alert, the messy, squalling real article, painfully birthed into the harsh light of actuality almost never measures up to the perfect concept in imagination.
The world only sees the finished work, and judges it against the standard of other similar examples. This is not a perfect system, but it serves. The creator is not blind to how his work fares by this standard. But he also perceives the gap between the inevitably flawed creature he has wrought, and the perfection in his head. The shortfall is maddening, and slyly whispers doubt into the ear even when there is nothing but external praise.
It is easy for the creative to forget that only he can see the gaps between reality and the imaginary ideal. This is, I believe, the origin of imposter syndrome. No amount of critical acclaim or financial reward will bridge those gaps. And the fear that others see the chasm between what is and what could have been can become all-consuming. One expects a small boy to step forward and point out the emperor’s lack of clothing at any moment. Then, it will all fall apart.
To be honest, there is no shortage of actual frauds and charlatans at large in the world, and never has been. But these miscreants usually harbor no illusions as to their duplicitous nature. They know they are faking it, don’t feel the least bit guilty about that, and see the people fooled as idiots and rubes who deserve to be taken in. But those who suffer from imposter syndrome are typically sincerely striving to do their best, and simply worry that their best isn’t good enough. That worry can metastasize into a phobia about being unmasked, when no mask is being worn.
Imposter syndrome is a real condition, and many suffer from it. But, please note a section of the above definition, “…perceived self-doubt in one’s abilities and accomplishments compared with others, despite evidence to suggest the contrary…” [italics added] I don’t seek to belittle the concerns of people who stand upon the stage of any endeavor, creative or otherwise. Your accomplishments are your own, and worthy of recognition. Indeed, some may criticize. If the criticism is unwarranted, dismiss it. To do otherwise grants power to those who mean you harm. Some of that criticism may be deserved. Take that feedback and use it to make your work better. That might be hard. But the hardest part is already done, dragging your creation into reality.
So, in the end, imposter syndrome is all in your head. And, yes, that advice does seem profoundly unhelpful. Most good advice looks that way at first glance. Fortunately, the solution lies within you as well. Imposter syndrome is the only disease I know of which can be cured by ignoring it. That’s not easy. But it is doable.
END.
Shameless Self-Promotion Section:
Check out my novels at Histria Books https://histriabooks.com/product-tag/ray-tabler/ and on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ray-Tabler/author/B09H62RZB9
The Diesel-Powered Starship (due for release in September 2025) https://histriabooks.com/product/the-diesel-powered-starship/
A Grand Imperial War (Book 1 of the Grand Imperial series) https://histriabooks.com/product/a-grand-imperial-war-grand-imperial-series-book-1/
A Grand Imperial Heir (Sequel to A Grand Imperial War) https://histriabooks.com/product/a-grand-imperial-heir-grand-imperial-series-book-2/
Fool’s Paradise https://histriabooks.com/product/fools-paradise/
And visit my website https://raytabler.com/ for Science Fiction You Can Enjoy!
Like virtually all new authors I had my own share of imposter syndrome but it never stopped me. My debut novel, Electromagnetic Assault, https://brucelanday.com/books-and-writing/ was published in April of this year. Have I had massive numbers of people buying my book? -- Nope. But I've had a lot of positive feedback including some some really nice reviews. No matter how many copies I sell, I know that I can write a polished professional book that people like. I'm working on a second book now.
I believe the numbers that lots of people think they want to write a book but very few have the drive to learn how to become good writers and take a book idea all the way to publication. It was over a 10 year push for me and I'm certainly not alone there.
Ray, I appreciate your voice of encouragement along the way as well as your entertaining stories.
"To be honest, there is no shortage of actual frauds and charlatans at large in the world, and never has been. But these miscreants usually harbor no illusions as to their duplicitous nature."
Definitely- and we still deal with many daily even now...