Impostor Syndrome Fake? My Take

There is a lot of conversation out there on the topic of impostor syndrome. I see it in my news feed frequently, and it is the buzzword at my job. You can throw a rock in the dark and you can find a post about impostor syndrome.

There is a mindset that some have that luck or good fortune has propelled them in the workforce over natural talent and ability.

This culture of feeling this way may have something to do with engaging in prosocial behavior and emotional intelligence.

I know a lot of unqualified people that are where they are due to connection. Sometimes it feels I wasted an entire half of a career developing hard skills for my job when I should have been connecting.

I teach a curriculum at work explaining that 80 percent of what you do in the workplace revolves around emotional intelligence.

My workplace calls for this curriculum and I can only conclude that they agree with it.

Perhaps actually lacking concrete skills justifies feeling like an impostor and is not always a syndrome.

A mix of hard and soft skills is reasonable and appropriate, but if the balance is tipped, one may be left feeling a wee bit fake.

What do you think? I am open to thoughtful dialogue and delving further into my opinion in the comments. I don’t have to be right.

Author: Benjamin

Benjamin Thiel is a husband, father, correctional professional and author of The Ongoing Tale at Brothers Campfire.

10 thoughts on “Impostor Syndrome Fake? My Take

  1. Rivers Renewed says:

    Excellent question but I know very little about this. I did throw a rock in the dark once and it hit the wall, and then hit me in the head. Maybe that’s my problem.

    Reply
  2. jilldomschot says:

    Or it could just be an honest assessment of self. Like, I don’t really have the credentials or professional experience, so I’m not really a [fill in the blank profession]. And people are very weird with their handshakes and code words and phrases. When you don’t know those, you will feel like an imposter. Maybe even a spy.

    Reply
  3. Cassa Bassa says:

    I would like to serve people God puts on my path and leave any workplace politics aside. I am not good with building intentional connections, on the contrary, I shy from it. I pray God will provide all I need and put me on the path he wants me to be on. At times, that means doing a job for far to long and too draining. In the end, I feel God did not give me what I can not bear. He saves me from burnt-outs.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.