Imposter syndrome is the persistent belief that you do not deserve your achievements, that you have somehow fooled others into overestimating your competence and that you will eventually be found out. It was first described by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978.
Imposter syndrome is remarkably common, particularly among high achievers, people in new roles, and people who belong to groups underrepresented in their field. Research suggests it affects an estimated 70% of people at some point in their careers.
The defining feature is the attribution of success to external factors, luck, timing, other people's generosity, while attributing failure to internal ones. The asymmetry means no amount of achievement updates the core belief of inadequacy.
Achievement does not resolve imposter syndrome. If anything, higher achievement can increase it by raising the perceived stakes of eventual discovery. The resolution requires addressing the underlying belief about self-worth, not accumulating more evidence of competence.
Imposter syndrome is closely linked to perfectionism, anxiety, and environments where conditional approval taught that you were only acceptable when performing at a high level.