There is no actual syndrome. It describes a very common feeling, especially in high achieving people. The term was coined in an article, which I actually read all those years ago when I was a very young woman doing a difficult and highly responsible adult job. I still thought of myself as a kid and wondered how the hell I'd fooled the higher ups into putting me in charge.

Impostor Syndrome is a clever term that resonates. It's a great short-hand way to describe a feeling many people have at various times in their lives.


If up to 70% of people experience it, I'd call it a normal feeling of self-doubt, not a syndrome. In my case, that self-doubt was good because my job actually gave me a lot of power over other people and my doubts made me willing to question whether or not my actions were in the best interest of the people involved. Of course, they couldn't always be. But it was important to act fairly and with full disclosure. Self-doubt didn't harm me, it motivated me to make the best decisions I could. It kept my feet on the ground.

The question is whether or not you let normal self-doubt turn toxic, gnawing away at your self-worth. If the answer is yes, then maybe talking to a counselor about the self-doubt and gnawing would be a good idea.