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How real is imposter syndrome?

I've heard of imposter syndrome typically with college decisions and people winning highly praised awards. What is it and is it actually a real thing?

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Jeff’s Answer

Imposter syndrome is a genuine experience, and it's likely that all of us have, at some point, felt uncertain or deficient in self-assurance. Here's how you can tackle it: Always keep in mind that you're not the only one experiencing these feelings. More importantly, remember that you possess far greater abilities than you might think in those moments of self-doubt. Furthermore, there's always something new to learn for everyone. So, bear in mind that others could also be harboring the same thoughts.
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alok’s Answer

This is genuinely true. I've worked in the software consulting field for years, gaining hands-on experience, yet occasionally, I still experience imposter syndrome. This feeling can sometimes stem from underlying anxiety or other mental health concerns. To address this, consider seeking support or professional help to overcome these feelings and boost your confidence.
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Kate’s Answer

Absolutely its a real thing. People can feel it for all sorts of reasons: getting praise at work for a good job when it was a team effort; feeling out of depth in a new role at work. Best way to combat it is to have someone else providing encouragement that its a good thing and well deserved
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Cassidy’s Answer

Imposter syndrome is real, and it shows up in a variety of situations with varying intensity. It is "the condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing success internally, despite being high-performing in external, objective ways." That is, a person may feel like an imposter or a fraud when they receive positive feedback, awards, promotions, etc., and they feel like they do not deserve what has been given to them and maybe that they only got their achievements by (accidentally) tricking others.

In the context of college decisions and highly-praised awards, there are typically a lot of candidates, so if someone is selected, they may question whether they really were the most qualified or deserved it most. Maybe the oddest experience I had with imposter syndrome was a semester in college when I earned a good GPA but felt like I hadn't worked hard enough to earn it, so rather than celebrating the GPA, I felt bad about my work ethic. More often, I've felt imposter syndrome at work, where I am still fairly young but in some situations I am considered an equal to people with much more experience than I have.

The best way I find to combat it is to just remind myself that if other, wiser people with decision-making power think I am qualified for what I've recevied, then they're probably right. Plus no one knows everything, so it does not make me an imposter if I don't know everything either. For some people, it helps to reframe it as "brilliant conman syndrome," embracing the fiction that maybe they did trick others into giving them these successes, but they will take as much as they can get before they get caught.
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