Why Do I Feel Like an Imposter?

July 8, 2019
Psychologist Mann (Ten Minutes to Happiness) clearly explains how Imposter Syndrome (IS) manifests in this broad but overly busy analysis. Mann details how the syndrome was first identified by psychologists working with women navigating the workplace in the U.K. during the 1970s, which she covers with case studies that expose three main symptoms: belief that others have inflated views of your abilities, fear of being exposed as a fraud, and attribution of success to external factors. Of the various ways the syndrome can manifest, Mann describes male IS (which is compounded by stereotypes of successful manhood in the realms of business, athletics, and sexuality), social IS (which leads people to doubt their friendships and motivations for good deeds), IS provoked by the challenges of parenting, and IS in students identified as gifted. Mann then offers diagnostics, exercises, and strategies for symptom management, such as journaling to identify facts and false assumptions about oneself. Mann’s analysis relies heavily on exposing the circular thinking that leads to feelings of inadequacy, which she does with the support of many graphics. However, her clinical writing style is distancing and the many charts are often more confusing than clarifying. While those concerned about IS will find much information here, Mann’s strategies are muddled by overly prescriptive language that will fail to engage many readers.