When Success Makes You Feel Like a Fraud
In 1978, psychologists Clance and Imes studied 150+ high-achieving women and discovered a strange pattern: the more accomplished they were, the more they believed they were frauds.
Take a quick assessment based on the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale.
Self-doubt ↑ as competence ↑
The more skilled you become, the more you understand the vast landscape of what you don't know. You compare yourself to experts in every sub-field simultaneously.
Confidence ↑ as competence ↓
Beginners don't know enough to recognize their own ignorance. They lack the metacognitive ability to evaluate their skills accurately.
Maya Angelou: "I have written 11 books, but each time I think, 'Uh oh, they're going to find out now.'"
If you feel like a fraud despite your achievements, you're in excellent company.
The very traits that make you successful—self-awareness,
high standards, and intellectual humility—
also make you doubt yourself.
Feeling like an impostor may be a sign that you're actually quite competent.