I feel better...

[electricland]

Uber-boss just came over to reassure me that nobody thinks any worse of me for last week's debacle, and These Things Happen.

Which, intellectually, I know, but that hasn't stopped me from beating myself up and imagining terrible things thus far. I know I do a good job and people are pleased with me, but somehow I always manage to think of myself as just on the verge of getting found out for the incompetent fraud I am.

I know it makes no sense.

Comments

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

My mom, who has been teaching for 15 years, has a master's degree in the field, and is also a lay pastor for our church, says she still feels that way.

I think a lot of us are convinced that we're secretly frauds.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. It's the flip side of this (http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html).

[scapersuse.livejournal.com]

You're right, it doesn't (but types like us still do it anyway.)

Stop beating yourself up.

*hugs*

[electricland.livejournal.com]

I will work hard at it -- and the same to you!

*hugs*

[pixel12.livejournal.com]

I think the corporeal form of those little voices at 4am should be taken out and shot.

You are... in fact, we ALL are really amazing, cool, intelligent, articulate people.

I don't know what happened last week, cuz I haven't got that far in your journal, but whatever it was. It was not the end of everything. You are not a fraud.

Now, when I feel insecure, can you shove this post in my face? Cuz this is all easier said than done.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

So true!

Thanks, hon.

[moonlightjoy.livejournal.com]

I actually wrote a paper last year on the "Impostor Phenomenon" which is something experienced a lot my successful people - mostly women.

"Imposterhood is defined as the sense of personal inauthenticity in individuals who evidence achievement. Clance noted this trait was often found in high achieving women, but later work revealed it is found in both male and female samples." (Yates, 1998)

Trust psychology to take something completely commonsensical, get government grants to study it, then tell everyone what they already knew. But hey.. it's crazy interesting!

I tried to link the Impostor Phenomenon to the <a href='http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/false_consensus.htm" target="new">False Consensus Effect</a> in a social cognition paper.. and failed miserably. :P

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Good Lord. Fascinating!

The good thing about these studies is they show you are Not Alone, which helps.

[moonlightjoy.livejournal.com]

... that and.... ummmm... *hugs*

Hey, it could be worse: You could be me, having been very successful thus far, working in a job where I'm highly highly appreciated.. and wondering if I only got this far because I'm a visible minority.

blehhhh....

[electricland.livejournal.com]

ok, stop that right now! Silliness!

*hugs*