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For years, the term “imposter syndrome” — feeling like a fraud despite evident success — has been thrown around, particularly in higher education where the stakes are high. It is often seen in reference to faculty and the ‘publish or perish’ culture, competition in research and funding, and the arduous path to tenure, but a 2016 research article proclaimed that imposter syndrome is “alive and well on college campuses” for staff and students as well. It was first termed “imposter phenomenon” by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978 (two psychologists studying a group of white women). Since then, the term shifted to imposter syndrome, and articles abound on how to overcome the challenge.
However, within the last year, many have called the phrase into question. Last year, in a viral Harvard Business Review article entitled “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome,” Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey argued that “imposter syndrome puts the blame on individuals, without accounting for the historical and cultural contexts that are foundational to how it manifests in both women of color and white women. Imposter syndrome directs our view toward fixing women at work instead of fixing the places where women work.”
Similarly, an article published by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education asserts that the buzzword has damaging consequences. Its message echoes that of the aforementioned piece — that women, particularly those of color, are told they have imposter syndrome, “often without considering the underlying reasons people feel like an imposter.”
While the articles focus on women, their message can be applied to anyone belonging to a marginalized group. Both argue that the solution is not found within individuals’ efforts but in addressing the systems of discrimination and bias (or “dysfunctional contexts” as one study says) that are at the root of these feelings of inadequacy. On the So Money podcast, Tulshyan discussed her inspiration for the Harvard Business Review article, explaining that she doesn’t “feel imposter syndrome, and the times where I have felt unsure of myself or like I lacked confidence, there was a common thread in those situations — and the thread was the situation. The thread was being around people who overlooked me or underestimated me or told me in very subtle and overt ways that I was not good enough, that I didn’t belong.”
As humans, we crave logic and sense-making, and so we buy into this theory of imposter syndrome and even continue to sow this story that people feel inadequate because of this diagnosis. It’s been an easy and convenient way to explain away our feelings, but in truth, are we perpetuating a narrative fallacy?
“Even the mere fact that our cultural narrative had morphed imposter phenomenon to imposter syndrome illuminates this inclination to provide some faux medical diagnosis for women to explain away the chronic discrimination that we’ve experienced,” said Jodi-Ann Burey in an August interview.
So, regardless of gender identification, when you feel like you don’t belong or are unworthy, what can you do? Challenge your thinking. Change the narrative. The feelings of uncertainty are real, but Burey suggests asking yourself if there is something bigger going on or underlying your feelings.
A 2017 Forbes article on narrative fallacy supports this recommendation. “Do not trivialize, ignore or ‘explain away’ observations that don’t make sense. Instead, probe and learn more,” David Castro wrote.
Pushing back against this narrative of imposter syndrome requires effort not only from ourselves, but leadership as well. Castro’s call to action is a great place for higher education leaders to start.
“Narratives have tremendous power,” he wrote. “They can help us accomplish our goals but also can lead to epic failures. Good leaders approach stories with discernment, respecting the gap between narrative and reality. They are willing to reframe, reinterpret and even rewrite. When a leader believes that he or she knows the true, complete and final story, major problems usually begin to unfold.”
Can we unfold the myth of imposter syndrome?
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