0:00:07.572,0:00:11.772 Even after writing eleven books [br]and winning several prestigious awards, 0:00:11.772,0:00:14.071 Maya Angelou couldn’t escape [br]the nagging doubt 0:00:14.071,0:00:18.405 that she hadn’t really earned [br]her accomplishments. 0:00:18.405,0:00:21.452 Albert Einstein experienced [br]something similar: 0:00:21.452,0:00:24.556 he described himself [br]as an “involuntary swindler” 0:00:24.556,0:00:28.555 whose work didn’t deserve [br]as much attention as it had received. 0:00:28.555,0:00:31.874 Accomplishments at the level [br]of Angelou’s or Einstein’s are rare, 0:00:31.874,0:00:35.154 but their feeling of fraudulence [br]is extremely common. 0:00:35.154,0:00:37.188 Why can’t so many of us shake feelings 0:00:37.188,0:00:39.314 that we haven’t earned [br]our accomplishments, 0:00:39.314,0:00:43.729 or that our ideas and skills [br]aren’t worthy of others’ attention? 0:00:43.729,0:00:47.151 Psychologist Pauline Rose Clance [br]was the first to study 0:00:47.151,0:00:49.705 this unwarranted sense of insecurity. 0:00:49.705,0:00:51.194 In her work as a therapist, 0:00:51.194,0:00:54.966 she noticed many of her undergraduate [br]patients shared a concern: 0:00:54.966,0:00:56.931 though they had high grades, 0:00:56.931,0:01:00.108 they didn’t believe they deserved [br]their spots at the university. 0:01:00.108,0:01:03.531 Some even believed their acceptance [br]had been an admissions error. 0:01:03.531,0:01:05.725 While Clance knew these fears [br]were unfounded, 0:01:05.725,0:01:09.526 she could also remember feeling[br]the exact same way in graduate school. 0:01:09.526,0:01:13.090 She and her patients experienced[br]something that goes by a number of names-- 0:01:13.090,0:01:14.668 imposter phenomenon, 0:01:14.668,0:01:16.172 imposter experience, 0:01:16.172,0:01:18.315 and imposter syndrome. 0:01:18.315,0:01:20.484 Together with colleague Suzanne Imes, 0:01:20.484,0:01:25.356 Clance first studied imposterism[br]in female college students and faculty. 0:01:25.356,0:01:29.060 Their work established pervasive[br]feelings of fraudulence in this group. 0:01:29.060,0:01:30.495 Since that first study, 0:01:30.495,0:01:33.330 the same thing has been established [br]across gender, 0:01:33.330,0:01:34.294 race, 0:01:34.294,0:01:35.163 age, 0:01:35.163,0:01:37.360 and a huge range of occupations, 0:01:37.360,0:01:39.969 though it may be more prevalent [br]and disproportionately affect 0:01:39.969,0:01:43.459 the experiences of underrepresented [br]or disadvantaged groups. 0:01:43.459,0:01:47.041 To call it a syndrome [br]is to downplay how universal it is. 0:01:47.041,0:01:49.586 It's not a disease or an abnormality, 0:01:49.586,0:01:52.544 and it isn’t necessarily [br]tied to depression, 0:01:52.544,0:01:53.335 anxiety, 0:01:53.335,0:01:54.956 or self-esteem. 0:01:54.956,0:01:57.590 Where do these feelings [br]of fraudulence come from? 0:01:57.590,0:01:59.734 People who are highly skilled [br]or accomplished 0:01:59.734,0:02:02.279 tend to think others are just as skilled. 0:02:02.279,0:02:05.283 This can spiral into feelings [br]that they don’t deserve accolades 0:02:05.283,0:02:07.476 and opportunities over other people. 0:02:07.476,0:02:09.646 And as Angelou and Einstein experienced, 0:02:09.646,0:02:12.178 there’s often no threshold [br]of accomplishment 0:02:12.178,0:02:14.411 that puts these feelings to rest. 0:02:14.411,0:02:18.727 Feelings of imposterism aren’t restricted [br]to highly skilled individuals, either. 0:02:18.727,0:02:23.030 Everyone is susceptible to a phenomenon [br]known as pluralistic ignorance, 0:02:23.030,0:02:25.546 where we each doubt ourselves privately, 0:02:25.546,0:02:27.949 but believe we’re alone [br]in thinking that way 0:02:27.949,0:02:30.174 because no one else voices their doubts. 0:02:30.174,0:02:33.663 Since it’s tough to really know [br]how hard our peers work, 0:02:33.663,0:02:36.125 how difficult they find certain tasks, 0:02:36.125,0:02:38.136 or how much they doubt themselves, 0:02:38.136,0:02:41.562 there’s no easy way to dismiss feelings [br]that we’re less capable 0:02:41.562,0:02:43.537 than the people around us. 0:02:43.537,0:02:45.427 Intense feelings of imposterism 0:02:45.427,0:02:47.762 can prevent people [br]from sharing their great ideas 0:02:47.762,0:02:50.996 or applying for jobs [br]and programs where they’d excel. 0:02:50.996,0:02:52.512 At least so far, 0:02:52.512,0:02:55.391 the most surefire way [br]to combat imposter syndrome 0:02:55.391,0:02:56.593 is to talk about it. 0:02:56.593,0:02:58.756 Many people suffering [br]from imposter syndrome 0:02:58.756,0:03:01.307 are afraid that if they ask [br]about their performance, 0:03:01.307,0:03:02.968 their fears will be confirmed. 0:03:02.968,0:03:05.133 And even when [br]they receive positive feedback, 0:03:05.133,0:03:07.787 it often fails to ease [br]feelings of fraudulence. 0:03:07.787,0:03:09.187 But on the other hand, 0:03:09.187,0:03:13.075 hearing that an advisor or mentor has[br]experienced feelings of imposterism 0:03:13.075,0:03:14.916 can help relieve those feelings. 0:03:14.916,0:03:16.623 The same goes for peers. 0:03:16.623,0:03:19.417 Even simply finding out there’s a term [br]for these feelings 0:03:19.417,0:03:21.240 can be an incredible relief. 0:03:21.240,0:03:22.951 Once you’re aware of the phenomenon, 0:03:22.951,0:03:24.996 you can combat your own imposter syndrome [br] 0:03:24.996,0:03:27.887 by collecting [br]and revisiting positive feedback. 0:03:27.887,0:03:31.010 One scientist who kept blaming herself [br]for problems in her lab 0:03:31.010,0:03:34.467 started to document the causes [br]every time something went wrong. 0:03:34.467,0:03:36.850 Eventually, she realized most [br]of the problems 0:03:36.850,0:03:38.332 came from equipment failure, 0:03:38.332,0:03:40.840 and came to recognize her own competence. 0:03:40.840,0:03:43.701 We may never be able [br]to banish these feelings entirely, 0:03:43.701,0:03:48.353 but we can have open conversations [br]about academic or professional challenges. 0:03:48.353,0:03:51.730 With increasing awareness [br]of how common these experiences are, 0:03:51.730,0:03:55.078 perhaps we can feel freer to be frank [br]about our feelings 0:03:55.078,0:03:57.669 and build confidence [br]in some simple truths: 0:03:57.669,0:03:58.848 you have talent, 0:03:58.848,0:03:59.838 you are capable, 0:03:59.838,0:04:01.200 and you belong.