You’re sitting in a meeting, or maybe you’re staring at a half-finished project, and it hits. That cold, prickly realization that you have no idea what you’re doing. Or worse—the absolute certainty that everyone else is about to figure out you’re a total fluke. It doesn’t matter that you’ve got the degree, the promotion, or the track record. You feel like a shoplifter in the mall of success.
That's the core of it.
Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes first coined the term "imposter phenomenon" back in 1978. They were looking at high-achieving women, but honestly, we know now it hits everyone. Hard. It’s that persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of your own efforts or skills.
Learning how to get rid of imposter syndrome isn't about becoming more "competent." You’re likely already competent. It’s about fixing the broken internal thermostat that regulates how you process your own wins.
The Science of Feeling Like a Total Fake
It isn't a mental illness. It’s a psychological pattern. According to research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, an estimated 70% of people experience these feelings at some point in their lives.
Why? Because our brains are wired to prioritize threats.
Back in the day, being cast out of the tribe meant death. Today, "being cast out" looks like your boss realizing you aren't a genius and firing you. Your brain treats a "reply all" mistake like a tiger in the bushes. When you’re in a high-pressure environment, your amygdala starts screaming. It creates a feedback loop. You work harder to hide the "truth," you succeed because you worked so hard, and then you feel like a fraud because you think the success only happened because of the overworking—not your actual talent.
It’s exhausting.
Identify Your "Imposter Type" to Beat It
Dr. Valerie Young is basically the leading expert on this stuff. She wrote The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, and she identified five distinct sub-types. Knowing which one you are makes it way easier to figure out how to get rid of imposter syndrome because you can see the specific lie your brain is telling you.
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Some people are The Perfectionists. They set ridiculously high goals. If they miss a goal by 1%, they feel like a failure. For them, "success" is binary. You’re either perfect or you’re a disaster. There is no middle ground.
Then you have The Natural Geniuses. These folks are used to things coming easy. If they have to struggle to learn a new skill, they think it means they’re "bad" at it. They judge their competence based on speed rather than effort.
The Soloists think they have to do everything themselves. If they ask for help, they feel like they’ve failed. They think "I did it" only counts if there wasn't a single person assisting them.
The Experts feel like they need to know every single piece of information before they can speak up. They’re the ones with five certifications who still feel "unqualified" for a job.
Finally, there are The Superheroes. They feel they must excel in every single role—parent, partner, employee, friend. If they aren’t "crushing it" in all areas, they feel like frauds.
Concrete Steps to Reframe Your Reality
If you want to actually change, you have to stop trying to "feel" better and start acting differently. Feelings are fickle. Data is better.
1. Document the Evidence
Your brain is a liar. It filters out the good stuff and keeps the bad. Start a "Win Folder." Every time someone sends you a "Great job" email, or you finish a task, or you solve a problem, put it in there. When the spiral starts, read the folder. It sounds cheesy. It is cheesy. It also works because it forces your brain to confront objective reality.
2. Separate Feeling from Fact
Just because you feel stupid doesn't mean you are stupid. This is a massive distinction. You can feel like a fraud and still be the most qualified person in the room. Acknowledge the feeling: "Okay, I'm feeling like I don't belong here." Then pivot. "Despite that feeling, I was hired for a reason."
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3. Talk About It (Selectively)
The power of imposter syndrome lives in the shadows. When you tell a trusted mentor, "Hey, I'm kind of feeling like I'm in over my head," two things happen. Usually, they say, "Me too." Suddenly, the monster isn't so big. But don't tell everyone. Tell people who have the perspective to give you an honest reality check.
4. Reframe "Failing" as Learning
This is the "Natural Genius" trap. If you see a mistake as proof of your fraudulence, you’ll never take risks. If you see a mistake as data, you’re just an investigator. Realize that everyone—even the people you admire most—is basically "winging it" to some degree. Life is mostly a series of educated guesses.
What Most People Get Wrong About Confidence
We think confidence comes first. It doesn't.
Competence comes first. Then comes courage (doing the thing while you’re scared). Confidence is just the byproduct that shows up way later, once you’ve done the thing enough times to be bored by it.
If you wait to feel "ready" to take on a new project or apply for a role, you’ll be waiting forever. Most people who look confident are just people who have decided that being uncomfortable is an acceptable price to pay for progress.
The Downside of "Fake It Till You Make It"
Everyone gives this advice. It’s mostly bad.
When you "fake it," you’re reinforcing the idea that the "real" you isn't enough. It actually increases the feeling of being an imposter because you’re literally pretending to be someone else.
Instead, try "Learning it while you're doing it."
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Be honest about what you don't know. "I'm not familiar with that specific software yet, but I'll have it figured out by Friday." This removes the "fraud" element. You aren't lying. You're being transparent about your process. There is a massive amount of power in saying, "I don't know, but I'll find out." It shows you’re secure enough to admit a gap in your knowledge.
Why High Achievers Suffer the Most
It’s a bit of a paradox. The more you achieve, the more "room" there is for imposter syndrome.
If you’re doing nothing, there’s nothing to be a fraud about. But the second you step onto a bigger stage, you compare your "insides" to everyone else's "outsides." You see your own messy process, your doubts, and your 3:00 AM anxieties. You only see other people's polished, finished products.
Maya Angelou once said, "I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’"
If a literal literary legend felt like a fraud, you’re in good company.
Practical Next Steps
Stop looking for a "cure." You might always feel a little bit like a fluke when you step into a new challenge. That’s actually a sign you’re growing.
Here is what you do tomorrow:
- Audit your self-talk: Literally catch yourself when you say "I got lucky." Replace it with "I worked for this opportunity."
- Stop the "Just" and "Only": Stop saying "I'm just a junior designer" or "I only did the research." You did the work. Period.
- Focus on the value, not the person: Shift your focus away from "Am I good enough?" to "How can I help this project/team/person?" When you focus on being useful, your ego (and its insecurities) takes a backseat.
- Visualize the "worst-case" scenario: Often, we realize the "discovery" we fear isn't actually that fatal. If someone finds out you don't know a specific thing, they usually just... teach it to you.
The goal isn't to never feel like an imposter again. The goal is to feel it, recognize it as a sign of growth, and keep moving anyway. You don't need to get rid of the feeling to be successful; you just need to stop letting it drive the car. Let it sit in the backseat and complain while you keep your eyes on the road.