12 Things That Will Sound Too Real If You Have Imposter Syndrome

Everyone goes through periods of self-doubt, but there are others who spend their whole lives feeling like a complete fraud and just waiting to be caught out.

When you have imposter syndrome it is as if all your achievements, good grades and promotions, are some huge lie concocted by well-meaning strangers or relatives who are legally obliged to be nice to you.

Sound familiar? Here are 12 things that will feel too real for anyone with imposter syndrome.

1. Feeling totally unqualified for every opportunity you are given.

2. Ignoring all evidence of achievement in favour of totally unsubstantiated fears.

3. Presuming you’re going to fail at something before you’ve even started.

4. Believing that people are only nice to your face, and secretly think you’re incompetent.

5. Using the phrase ‘right time, right place’ to describe your life.

6. Convincing yourself that your good luck will eventually run out.

7. Refusing to accept that ‘good luck’ translates to hard work and ability.

8. Being unable to accept a compliment without saying something completely self-deprecating afterwards.

9. Thinking that all of your ideas are inferior to your colleagues.

10. Waiting for your boss to fire you on a daily basis.

11. Deciding to walk round with ‘fraud’ on your forehead to get this over with quickly.

12. Forgetting that no adult really knows what they are doing anyway.