4

After my recent inactivity, I finally gave everything some thought and I think I have something that may be contribution worthy to this site as I am likely not the only one.

I am aware of this question, but I don't think it's necessarily within the scope of my concern: What's the term for people who think they suffering from imposter syndrome when in reality they *are* imposters?

I am wondering the difference between whether someone suffers from Imposter's Syndrome vs. actually being out of their depth. I'm not going to say someone out of their depth is an "imposter" per se since I think that's rude and is somewhat snobby. The question that was also asked by the original questioner in the old post passed judgment on that other person as well and I think that's unfair. I also want the scope of my question to apply to those at the Ph.D level as well.

zzmondo1
  • 1
  • 2
  • 16
  • 35
  • 1
    I'm a bit confused by your phrasing: colloquially, I would understand "being out of your depth" as a transient phenomenon, vs. "imposter syndrome" as a somewhat chronic behavioural health syndrome. I'm also not sure what purpose your example of yourself serves? – coffee_into_plots Feb 21 '24 at 22:17
  • 1
    @coffee_into_plots I edited my question to include a "not being cut out for it" so my intent is clarified. The purpose of my example was to illustrate a case where, when I've put it all in front of others alongside my disabilities, they are convinced that I wasn't ready for a Ph.D at all. – zzmondo1 Feb 21 '24 at 22:22
  • 2
    That is a question for a therapist, not this community. Sorry. – Buffy Feb 21 '24 at 22:30
  • @Buffy Surely there has to be something that indicates whether someone's doubt is no longer in their head and is truly real? I find your comment a bit problematic since that seems to imply academics are not self aware enough to know if they aren't cut out for it unless they consult a therapist. I'm seriously doubting that I'm the only one who has pondered this question before so I feel the need to defend myself a bit here. – zzmondo1 Feb 21 '24 at 22:45
  • 6
    I’m voting to close this question because no one here can answer it for you. There may indeed be a way for someone who knows you well to sort out whether your problem is or is not impostor syndrome, but no one on this site is qualified to do so with the information you present. – Ethan Bolker Feb 21 '24 at 22:47
  • @EthanBolker If my question is closed then so be it, but I do want to double down on the comment where I tagged Buffy a bit ago as well. I'm more so questioning how Imposter's Syndrome, which is an academically relevant topic, and separating that from actual inadequacy wouldn't be something that someone here could at least give some input. – zzmondo1 Feb 21 '24 at 22:51
  • Just to go on the record, I cut out all of the personal details so this is more general and not individual. If this is still out of the scope, then it is what it is. – zzmondo1 Feb 21 '24 at 23:00
  • 1
    I only suggest on this site that impostor syndrome may be in play in situations where the OP has essentially completed some academic task - perhaps about to graduate with a doctorate - and is worried about whether they will be caught out at the last minute since they feel inadequate in spite of evidence to the contrary. – Ethan Bolker Feb 21 '24 at 23:11
  • @EthanBolker I get that and it makes sense. I'm just wondering how that evidence is actually judged though. That's why I brought up my case before I edited it out since there's a lot of evidence that I achieved, but it was the bare minimum. Low GPA, no publications, bad at teaching are all things I could thing of that would indicate someone was not a potential fit at all. Edit: I've also been told that I'm forfeiting my potential but after how exhausted I get from doing the bare minimum, I'm questioning at the meta level for that reason. – zzmondo1 Feb 21 '24 at 23:19
  • There is no way "that evidence is actually judged" by anyone on this site. When I mention imposter syndrome it's just a suggestion based on my personal response to the small amount of information in the question. I've nothing more to add in further comments. – Ethan Bolker Feb 21 '24 at 23:33
  • 2
    https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/155257/how-to-differentiate-imposter-syndrome-from-actual-lack-of-suitability-for-gra Does this answer your question? – Allure Feb 22 '24 at 02:46
  • The revised version seems like an on-topic question, though Allure is probably right that it's a duplicate. – cag51 Feb 22 '24 at 03:01

1 Answers1

3

It's a fair question.

The whole impostor syndrome strikes me as unfalsifiable: if you feel inadequate then you are suffering from impostor syndrome, and if you don't feel inadequate then you are overestimating your own abilities, or at the extreme, delusional. And I think I've heard every definition of the impostor syndrome, including from the mouth of Valerie Young.

In the most benign form, the impostor syndrome is just that part of being young where it feels that everybody has it figured it out, but not you. Yes, there are 50-year-olds who claim to suffer from impostor syndrome, but I think that pretty much everybody eventually comes to the realization that nobody has it all together.

Some people have acquired impressive skills, and others have yet to learn those skills, and that's it.

Most people also feel great discomfort at being a beginner in a place full of experts, like for example, a grad student in a department full of postocs and professors. But other people actually thrive in those environments and actively search for situations where they can be the beginner among experts (Reminds me of Yo Yo Ma's "The beginner's mind")

There are no real impostors to sort out from the 'true' impostors: just people who have not learned the necessary skills. Now, there are plenty of delusional people out there who actually think they have things figured it all out, but they are not suffering from impostor syndrome, quite the opposite.

Cheery
  • 13,573
  • 2
  • 31
  • 63
  • I think this fails to address the underlying concern, which seems to be "what if you really aren't cut out for where you are but don't know it?" – Todd Wilcox Feb 23 '24 at 02:02