Flipping the script on impostor syndrome

22 May

Silencing the inner voices

Here's something counterintuitive:

Founders. C-suite execs. Creatives. Activists. Olympians.
Top of their game - all battle self-doubt.

Since the term "impostor syndrome" was coined in 1978, it's been treated like a personal flaw to fix. But groundbreaking research from MIT, led by Prof. Basima Tewfik, has flipped the narrative.

After reviewing 316 studies, here's what emerged:

👉 It's situational, not permanent - These thoughts are fluid. They come and go.
👉 It's universal - Not just women. Not just underrepresented groups. Everyone feels it.
👉 It can be powerful - Doubt can drive us to listen more, collaborate more, do more.
👉 The science is evolving - The "impostor syndrome is toxic" narrative? Too simplistic. Reality is more complex.

Even Einstein wrote: "I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler."

Let's move past those inner voices challenging deserved success.

What if self-doubt isn't a sign of weakness - but a marker of growth?

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