Sorry, but who knew there was a word for it? That’s part of the definition of it, isn’t it? There’s a word for everything whether we know it or not, and we all think our worst self doubts are unique to us and us alone.

https://hbr.org/2008/05/overcoming-imposter-syndrome

We can’t be born with it. It’s about being born into it. I’ve neither the time nor the energy this morning to describe how events manifested in my life and still fuel some self-doubt and insecurity so I’ll leave this here. Should you happen across it, watch the video and see you recognize anything. I hope you don’t but there’s a good chance you do. Google “imposter syndrome” and see how many results come up. You’re not alone. Much of the material focuses on professional accomplishment but where it manifests in personal lives may be where it hurts the most.

“It starts with recognising it in yourself and others. Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence. They seem unable to internalize their accomplishments, however successful they are in their field. High achieving, highly successful people often suffer, so imposter syndrome doesn’t equate with low self-esteem or a lack of self-confidence. In fact, some researchers have linked it with perfectionism, especially in women and among academics.”

Every insecurity feeds, to some degree, a feeling of isolation…

Hell, I’ll leave it here.

This helps too.