The cure for impostor syndrome

might be a better disguise

At this time, I do not know what an impostor feels like. I have felt neither impostor nor impersonator, nor impersonator impersonating an impostor nor an impostor impersonating an impersonator impersonating an impostor.

I was always taught to keep my hands to myself.

Also?

The cleaver little story of impostor syndrome is not a feeling. It’s a story we create when we get the sinking feeling that is frequently in our torsos when we doubt ourselves.

I think it’s attached to the ‘shut down and get ready to die’ function of our nervous system. I haven’t done the reading there but it seems reasonable. It’s a nice story to tell, so that’s the one I’m sticking with.

It’s a really good feeling to have

That sucking feeling that I call the dreadful hole of doubt, fear and loathing, is helpful. If I can muster up enough energy to just keep going, that sensation, as welcome as a flatulent horse when you’re braiding their tail, is helpful.

“Impostor syndrome” or “feeling like an impostor” is merely the …