There is no such thing as "impostor syndrome", at least not anymore. I didn't know it originated from the first generation of highly successful professional women, and I totally buy that they would have a real version of it, with all the stuff they had to deal with. But nowadays? Impostor syndrome is just a scapegoat for a societal ill.
We live in a society where having a realistic, cautious assessment of one's own skills is perceived as a condition. It is not. It is the reasonable attitude to have. It is the respectful attitude to have. It is the honest attitude to have, towards our fellow human beings.
I appreciate the tone of your article, and I don't think I'm contradicting any of its claims, except for shifting the perspective on the issue: I believe it is important that we realize that when "managing impostor syndrome", we are not dealing with a defect in ourselves, but adjusting to a widespread flaw of society, and preventing it from hurting us. And it is important that we learn how to manage it, but, ultimately, we also have to push back, otherwise we'll always be on the defensive (and the Dunning-Kruger types will keep rising through the ranks).
Unpopular opinion:
There is no such thing as "impostor syndrome", at least not anymore. I didn't know it originated from the first generation of highly successful professional women, and I totally buy that they would have a real version of it, with all the stuff they had to deal with. But nowadays? Impostor syndrome is just a scapegoat for a societal ill.
We live in a society where having a realistic, cautious assessment of one's own skills is perceived as a condition. It is not. It is the reasonable attitude to have. It is the respectful attitude to have. It is the honest attitude to have, towards our fellow human beings.
I appreciate the tone of your article, and I don't think I'm contradicting any of its claims, except for shifting the perspective on the issue: I believe it is important that we realize that when "managing impostor syndrome", we are not dealing with a defect in ourselves, but adjusting to a widespread flaw of society, and preventing it from hurting us. And it is important that we learn how to manage it, but, ultimately, we also have to push back, otherwise we'll always be on the defensive (and the Dunning-Kruger types will keep rising through the ranks).
Amazing perspective, thanks!