Psychologycalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Imposter Syndrome?
/ɪmˈpɒstər ˈsɪndrəʊm/
Imposter syndrome is the persistent internal experience of feeling like a fraud — believing your success is undeserved and fearing that others will eventually "find you out," despite clear evidence of competence.
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Everyday Example
A newly promoted manager who spends their first week convinced their colleagues will realise they made a hiring mistake is experiencing imposter syndrome.
publicReal-World Application
“Studies suggest up to 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point, with particularly high rates among high-achievers, minorities, and first-generation professionals.”
psychology
Did you know?
The term was coined by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978, initially in research focused on high-achieving women.
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Key Insight
The cruel irony of imposter syndrome is that genuinely incompetent people rarely feel it — it is a condition that disproportionately affects capable, self-aware individuals.
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