The Main Causes Of Imposter Syndrome
There will always be a reason for you to experience imposter syndrome. It doesn’t just come out of nowhere. One thing that you need to know right away is that imposter syndrome is not linked to any kind of modesty or humility. Let’s take a look at the main causes of imposter syndrome.
Recalling Past Failures
We have all made mistakes and done things that we regret in the past. If you dwell on these failures then this can bring on imposter syndrome. Some people are continually haunted by their past and regularly think about the mistakes they have made a long time ago.
Dwelling in the past is not a good thing to do. What is done is done. The best way to deal with the past is to learn from it. Then you need to let go. Constantly harping back to past negative events in your life can cause you a lot of stress and anxiety.
People in your Life can Trigger Imposter Syndrome
Not all of your friends will support you all of the time. The same can be true of work colleagues and even family members. Words are extremely powerful, and if you hear the wrong things from the people around you often enough this can bring on imposter syndrome.
Have you ever heard from anyone in your life that you are useless? Perhaps you were told that you would never be a success? These are the kind of comments that some people will internalize and obsess over. In some cases, this can result in a person feeling that they are not worthy.
People like to belong to groups and there can be situations where the dynamics of a group can cause imposter syndrome. If you decide that you are going to be unique in some way and stand out from the crowd, other group members may castigate you for this and make you feel insecure.
Childhood Limiting Beliefs
Your experiences from your childhood could be responsible for the onset of imposter syndrome in later life. A lot of parents push their children to do well and if they do not live up to expectations then there are often negative consequences to this.
Another thing is that an authority figure in your life as a child may have criticized you in such a way that it really left a mark. Being told that you will never amount to anything can be devastating to a child. This is especially true when it comes from parents or a teacher for example.
These days, there is a tendency for parents to “overprotect” their children. Of course, parents need to protect their kids, but if they overprotect them then they can grow up not knowing what to expect when they are an adult.
A child that has never had to deal with any challenging situations before can be really unprepared for the world. This can hit them hard and they can be subjected to negative comments from other adults. In the worst cases this can definitely trigger imposter syndrome.
You need to know what is causing Imposter Syndrome
In order for you to overcome imposter syndrome you need to know what is causing it. It can be painful trying to figure this out but it is worth the pain of doing this. Otherwise, you will only be treating the symptoms and not getting to the root cause of the problem.