As I interact with more and more people, it becomes more obvious that most of us are haunted by the imposter syndrome. We really struggle to accept that our accomplishments are legit, and we are actually experts… While I don’t think we need to get too cocky and show off all the time, we should also be aware of our abilities and share our skills without downplaying.
I did this “Becoming a Resilient Scientist” training a while ago, and the cognitive distortion portion was so eye-opening for me. The training includes small group discussions after each video, which I really enjoyed. But the videos are lovely as is too, so I wanted to share if anyone would benefit:
I definitely have many of these cognitive distortions and since I’ve realized they’re unfortunately common, I’ve been trying to reflect on my reactions and thought process. “IS THIS A COGNITIVE DISTORTION?!?! AM I BEING REASONABLE?!?!” is a reeaaaaaaally frequent conversation I have in my mind…
Then I worry about going in the complete opposite direction and think “ok, am I being a terrible person if I’m not impostering and staying humble?” So I came across this lovely image that I like checking out here and there:
I definitely wouldn’t call myself “emotionally intelligent” but I really like this. It is possible to not succumb to imposter but also not be a complete narcissist while letting go of the imposter. Also, let’s avoid the “all or nothing” cognitive distortion as well, there is an in between, and sometimes imposter can kick in without having to crush you completely. I also think there’s some good in imposter still, it has a lot to offer to me and I’m not ready to turn my back to it completely. Some people just thrive in toxicity afterall and there’s nothing wrong with it as long as it’s not harming you or others. Maybe a little imposter sprinkle here and there can be juuust fine 