Wiki defines impostor syndrome as a"psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. Despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved." Hmm sounds all too familiar...
Recently we have been struggling with trying to convince some of our highly intelligent and promising students that there were indeed brilliant. Their self doubt seems to make them convinced that they won't graduate or get good jobs when they do - all the while we are telling them that they will in fact graduate and trying to convince them to apply to good places. The common consensus was that as grad students we had all felt self doubt, so this was normal and we should only keep encouraging them.
A subsequent discussion among the "younger" post-docs and we voiced sentiments like "I don't know what I'm doing" "everyone else seems to know more" "I'm not sure why I was hired". So much for this being a grad student issue. Some general looking into each others contributions and skills ensued and we all felt a little better...maybe... A senior post-doc then joined us, someone who we think is very knowledgeable, skilled and has got it together. He had been applying for an award...he slumps down with a "I don't think I'm good enough"! - does this ever end?
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