Who Can Suffer From Imposter Syndrome?
The answer to this is that anyone can suffer from imposter syndrome. Your gender, race, and background are unimportant. There is a myth that females are more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome than males. Evidence does not exist to support this. Imposter syndrome can be experienced by anyone at any time.
Your Personality Traits can bring on Imposter Syndrome
There has been a lot of research into imposter syndrome and one of the findings to date is that people with certain personality traits are more prone to it than others are. One study found that lazy people are more prone to imposter syndrome. The belief here is that lazy people are more likely to have a lot of unfinished tasks which can make them think they are not worthy.
Experts have also seen a link between those people that have low self-esteem and imposter syndrome. This is not too much of a surprise as if you do not have a good opinion of yourself then you are probably more likely to feel like an imposter fairly often. Another link was found between neuroticism and imposter syndrome in the studies.
People that have a strong Fear of Failure
It is natural for all of us to feel a bit apprehensive when we are taking on new challenges. In some people, this manifests itself as a strong fear of failure. People that have tried new things and failed a lot in the past can develop this.
If you are someone that fears failure a lot of the time then you are very likely to experience imposter syndrome. This can lead to high levels of stress and anxiety which are not good for your health. You need to take steps to overcome your fear of failure.
Have you Experienced Discrimination or Bias?
Anyone that has experienced discrimination or bias because of their gender or race, for example, can be more prone to suffering from imposter syndrome. Even if you have not personally experienced any bias or discrimination, just knowing that other people have can cause you to start feeling that you do not fit in.
It is an unfortunate fact that stereotypes have formed over many years for certain situations. This can be prevalent in the workplace for example. If you do not feel that you belong for whatever reason then you are likely to feel like a fraud. When this becomes a regular thing then you are experiencing imposter syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome is in Your Head
The reason that absolutely anyone can suffer from imposter syndrome at any time is that it is all in the mind. This is both a good and bad thing. Imposter syndrome starts with negative thoughts that will not go away about you not being good enough or not belonging.
Why is this good news? Well, you are in control of your thoughts. If you experience negative thoughts about being an imposter then you can neutralize them with positive thoughts. Mastering thought control is one of the most effective things that you can do to overcome imposter syndrome. It will also help you in many other areas of your life.