0:00:09.112,0:00:13.152 Even after writing eleven books [br]and winning several prestigious awards, 0:00:13.152,0:00:15.491 Maya Angelou couldn’t escape [br]the nagging doubt 0:00:15.491,0:00:19.685 that she hadn’t really earned [br]her accomplishments. 0:00:19.685,0:00:22.592 Albert Einstein experienced [br]something similar: 0:00:22.592,0:00:25.966 he described himself [br]as an “involuntary swindler” 0:00:25.966,0:00:29.535 whose work didn’t deserve [br]as much attention as it had received. 0:00:29.535,0:00:33.374 Accomplishments at the level [br]of Angelou’s or Einstein’s are rare, 0:00:33.374,0:00:36.404 but their feeling of fraudulence [br]is extremely common. 0:00:36.404,0:00:38.408 Why can’t so many of us shake feelings 0:00:38.408,0:00:40.594 that we haven’t earned [br]our accomplishments, 0:00:40.594,0:00:45.019 or that our ideas and skills [br]aren’t worthy of others’ attention? 0:00:45.019,0:00:48.401 Psychologist Pauline Rose Clance [br]was the first to study 0:00:48.401,0:00:50.925 this unwarranted sense of insecurity. 0:00:50.925,0:00:52.294 In her work as a therapist, 0:00:52.294,0:00:56.646 she noticed many of her undergraduate [br]patients shared a concern: 0:00:56.646,0:00:58.461 though they had high grades, 0:00:58.461,0:01:01.778 they didn’t believe they deserved [br]their spots at the university. 0:01:01.778,0:01:05.021 Some even believed their acceptance [br]had been an admissions error. 0:01:05.021,0:01:07.205 While Clance knew these fears [br]were unfounded, 0:01:07.205,0:01:10.766 she could also remember feeling[br]the exact same way in graduate school. 0:01:10.766,0:01:14.470 She and her patients experienced[br]something that goes by a number of names-- 0:01:14.470,0:01:16.118 imposter phenomenon, 0:01:16.118,0:01:17.662 imposter experience, 0:01:17.662,0:01:19.865 and imposter syndrome. 0:01:19.865,0:01:21.634 Together with colleague Suzanne Imes, 0:01:21.634,0:01:26.616 Clance first studied imposterism[br]in female college students and faculty. 0:01:26.616,0:01:30.180 Their work established pervasive[br]feelings of fraudulence in this group. 0:01:30.180,0:01:31.645 Since that first study, 0:01:31.645,0:01:34.380 the same thing has been established [br]across gender, 0:01:34.380,0:01:35.134 race, 0:01:35.134,0:01:36.003 age, 0:01:36.003,0:01:38.370 and a huge range of occupations, 0:01:38.370,0:01:41.419 though it may be more prevalent [br]and disproportionately affect 0:01:41.419,0:01:44.759 the experiences of underrepresented [br]or disadvantaged groups. 0:01:44.759,0:01:48.271 To call it a syndrome [br]is to downplay how universal it is. 0:01:48.271,0:01:51.276 It's not a disease or an abnormality, 0:01:51.276,0:01:53.864 and it isn’t necessarily [br]tied to depression, 0:01:53.864,0:01:54.825 anxiety, 0:01:54.825,0:01:56.536 or self-esteem. 0:01:56.536,0:01:58.780 Where do these feelings [br]of fraudulence come from? 0:01:58.780,0:02:01.194 People who are highly skilled [br]or accomplished 0:02:01.194,0:02:03.189 tend to think others are just as skilled. 0:02:03.189,0:02:06.563 This can spiral into feelings [br]that they don’t deserve accolades 0:02:06.563,0:02:08.596 and opportunities over other people. 0:02:08.596,0:02:11.186 And as Angelou and Einstein experienced, 0:02:11.186,0:02:13.508 there’s often no threshold [br]of accomplishment 0:02:13.508,0:02:15.531 that puts these feelings to rest. 0:02:15.531,0:02:20.357 Feelings of imposterism aren’t restricted [br]to highly skilled individuals, either. 0:02:20.357,0:02:24.370 Everyone is susceptible to a phenomenon [br]known as pluralistic ignorance, 0:02:24.370,0:02:26.896 where we each doubt ourselves privately, 0:02:26.896,0:02:29.029 but believe we’re alone [br]in thinking that way 0:02:29.029,0:02:31.244 because no one else voices their doubts. 0:02:31.244,0:02:34.973 Since it’s tough to really know [br]how hard our peers work, 0:02:34.973,0:02:37.595 how difficult they find certain tasks, 0:02:37.595,0:02:39.516 or how much they doubt themselves, 0:02:39.516,0:02:42.972 there’s no easy way to dismiss feelings [br]that we’re less capable 0:02:42.972,0:02:44.727 than the people around us. 0:02:44.727,0:02:46.637 Intense feelings of imposterism 0:02:46.637,0:02:48.922 can prevent people [br]from sharing their great ideas 0:02:48.922,0:02:52.656 or applying for jobs [br]and programs where they’d excel. 0:02:52.656,0:02:54.112 At least so far, 0:02:54.112,0:02:56.611 the most surefire way [br]to combat imposter syndrome 0:02:56.611,0:02:58.153 is to talk about it. 0:02:58.153,0:03:00.226 Many people suffering [br]from imposter syndrome 0:03:00.226,0:03:02.557 are afraid that if they ask [br]about their performance, 0:03:02.557,0:03:04.128 their fears will be confirmed. 0:03:04.128,0:03:06.273 And even when [br]they receive positive feedback, 0:03:06.273,0:03:09.317 it often fails to ease [br]feelings of fraudulence. 0:03:09.317,0:03:10.347 But on the other hand, 0:03:10.347,0:03:14.425 hearing that an advisor or mentor has[br]experienced feelings of imposterism 0:03:14.425,0:03:16.116 can help relieve those feelings. 0:03:16.116,0:03:18.193 The same goes for peers. 0:03:18.193,0:03:20.717 Even simply finding out there’s a term [br]for these feelings 0:03:20.717,0:03:22.700 can be an incredible relief. 0:03:22.700,0:03:24.191 Once you’re aware of the phenomenon, 0:03:24.191,0:03:26.616 you can combat your own imposter syndrome [br] 0:03:26.616,0:03:29.387 by collecting [br]and revisiting positive feedback. 0:03:29.387,0:03:32.380 One scientist who kept blaming herself [br]for problems in her lab 0:03:32.380,0:03:35.557 started to document the causes [br]every time something went wrong. 0:03:35.557,0:03:38.160 Eventually, she realized most [br]of the problems 0:03:38.160,0:03:39.902 came from equipment failure, 0:03:39.902,0:03:42.150 and came to recognize her own competence. 0:03:42.150,0:03:45.201 We may never be able [br]to banish these feelings entirely, 0:03:45.201,0:03:49.553 but we can have open conversations [br]about academic or professional challenges. 0:03:49.553,0:03:53.330 With increasing awareness [br]of how common these experiences are, 0:03:53.330,0:03:56.808 perhaps we can feel freer to be frank [br]about our feelings 0:03:56.808,0:03:58.839 and build confidence [br]in some simple truths: 0:03:58.839,0:04:00.048 you have talent, 0:04:00.048,0:04:01.408 you are capable, 0:04:01.408,0:04:02.520 and you belong.