What if the majority of impostor syndrome is just a normal, sensible response to living an uncertain and precarious life in a challenging industry rife with rejection and poor communication?
I've often felt uncomfortable with the over-use of this phrase. It felt like just another thing for women to beat themselves up about. Thanks for a clear explanation - it feels like you've put your finger on it.
Thanks, Penny! I'd read quite a lot of papers before I found this piece, so I'm going to have to go back and re-read them with a slightly different view. But even if there are specific circumstances in which impostor syndrome is a real thing, we need to talk about women's experiences especially quite differently. It's less that we experience impostor syndrome but instead that we have a loss of confidence caused by workplace sexism. Same for people of colour and other minorities.
I've often felt uncomfortable with the over-use of this phrase. It felt like just another thing for women to beat themselves up about. Thanks for a clear explanation - it feels like you've put your finger on it.
Thanks, Penny! I'd read quite a lot of papers before I found this piece, so I'm going to have to go back and re-read them with a slightly different view. But even if there are specific circumstances in which impostor syndrome is a real thing, we need to talk about women's experiences especially quite differently. It's less that we experience impostor syndrome but instead that we have a loss of confidence caused by workplace sexism. Same for people of colour and other minorities.
Touché. Write through the fear.