DEV Community

Discussion on: How do YOU deal with imposter syndrome?

Collapse
 
codemouse92 profile image
Jason C. McDonald

I often have to run through a list of all the things I can do, and then remind myself that no programmer will ever stop having things to learn, practice, and master.

I've learned that true humility is a combination of recognizing what I cannot do and recognizing what I am good at...and then cutting the naval-gazing short and focusing on how I can be a help to others. Or, as C.S. Lewis so aptly puts it:

"True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less."

That's not to say I've achieved humility yet. It's a daily war. I have learned that in that ongoing internal conflict, imposter syndrome is actually an asset. It is far more of a liability in this industry not to have it! It serves as an amazing check against the intellectual arrogance we can so easily slip into. Without it, most of us would wind up "believing our own press releases," and nothing stalls professional and personal development faster than an oversized ego.