Imposter Syndrome and the Marginalized Experience

Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? That you weren’t good enough? That you didn’t earn the job or accomplishments you have? Or that you were a fraud? Well, you’re not alone, these feelings are known as imposter syndrome and up to 82% people face feelings of imposter syndrome ^[1]. Imposter syndrome refers to feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence despite your achievements. It also involves this fear of being “found out” or discovered as a fraud. Initially this concept of “imposter phenomenon” was developed by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978, specifically regarding high-achieving women ^[1]. They proposed that “despite outstanding academic and professional accomplishments, women who experience the imposter phenomenon persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise ^[2].” Recently it has become more common and acceptable for people to come forward and share these kinds of feelings with the hope of destigmatizing mental health. Famous women from actors like Charlize Theron and Viola Davis to business leaders like Sheryl Sandberg and even former First Lady Michelle Obama and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor have confessed to experiencing imposter syndrome ^[2].

Feelings of imposter syndrome can affect a person’s mental health and overall functioning. Studies show that feelings of imposter syndrome are linked to increased anxiety and depression, especially amongst Black, Asian, and Latino college student (Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 64, No. 2, 2017) ^[1]. It also an isolating feeling. Many people who feel like imposters will believe they are the only one feeling that way. And when you are one of the few minorities in a place surrounded by cis, straight, white men, all those feelings are far more heightened. So, it is not really surprising that imposter syndrome is especially prominent amongst minorities and people with underrepresented identities. This begs the question, is it really imposter syndrome or is it the realization that there are entire systems designed to keep you out of spaces that you deserve to be in? Is it really a lack of self-confidence, or is it the result of repeatedly facing systemic racism and bias?

The concept of imposter syndrome doesn’t really address or account for the marginalized experience. The fact of the matter is that race, gender identities, sexual orientation, disabilities, being poor, and being neurodivergent can determine how we are treated, what we are afforded access to, and how often we are rejected from or pushed out of spaces we deserve to be in. It is very often that desirability or the narrow-minded definitions of normal or acceptable, determines who receives visibility, care, and empathy. You see this all the time in sports, in the way Black athletes, female athletes, and trans athletes are treated. You can see it in how schools and workplaces treat Black people’s hair. You may even experience this at your doctor’s appointment. There is a long history of doctors not listening to women, especially women of color. Not to mention the fatphobia present in healthcare. Also, the fact that a gender wage gap and a racial wealth gap exist. I could go on and on, but the point is that the concept of imposter syndrome doesn’t take any of these things into account. To me, it feels like imposter syndrome is just a way to divert the blame from our current systems onto individuals by focusing on how we respond to or fail to respond to these situations. Using imposter syndrome places the blame on the person and their lack of self-confidence. The reality is that minorities and people with underrepresented identities need to have spaces that are more inclusive and accessible. Schools and workplaces should hire and promote people with underrepresented identities, train leadership in critical race theory and gendered racism, and create affinity spaces for underrepresented individuals, hold people accountable for their microaggressions and racist dynamic ^[1]. The solution to overcoming imposter syndrome isn’t in “fixing” individuals, it lies in creating environments that are diverse, inclusive, accessible for anyone and everyone.

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