Episode 34: You Are Not a Fraud: A Scientific Exploration of “Imposter Phenomenon” (not Syndrome)
with Dr. Marc Reid
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Episode Description:
Impostor experiences are not a syndrome, but a human experience borne from searching for belonging and worthiness.
How can we help this incurable phenomenon through mindfulness?
How do Competence and Confidence affect each other?
How does social media propel Impostor Phenomenon?
We explore all this and more in this Episode with scientist, professor, and author Marc Reid.
Show Notes:
Comparing oneself to others, feeling a lack of belonging and worthiness
The power of self reflection through journaling, and discovering the “Imposter Phenomenon”
Differentiating between Imposter Syndrome and Imposter Phenomenon; the pervasiveness shows that it’s simply a part of the human condition, not a syndrome on its way to being a diagnosable disease. Calling it a syndrome as opposed to phenonmemom or experience unconcsciously links it to something that’s pathological and medical, as opposed to an entirely normal experience.
The history of Imposter Phenomenon: first studied in relation to the accomplishments of female scientists and academics in the ‘70s; it has since expanded and seen to be more widespread, not only across genders, but both in and out of the career space
How this phenomenon causes one to skip over celebration, praise, or acknowledgment of accomplishment before moving onto the next project - because in your mind there’s always more evidence to gather that you belong
Mindfulness practice: How zooming out from the project and reflecting can help shine a light on the distortion between the felt experience and the reality. For example, that you in fact DO have the experience or expertise in this area and deserve to believe so.
If you’re not feeling like an imposter, you’re doing it wrong… Because everyone starts out that way; it means you are putting yourself out in the world, trying something new.
Lack of knowing does not equal incompetence and unworthiness
Awareness that there is a lot to learn equals competence; this is the beginning of a goal
The opposite of the Imposter experience: The Dunning-Kruger effect: when a person's lack of knowledge and skills in a certain area cause them to overestimate their own competence.
There is beauty in realizing how little you know and how much there is to learn
Bringing balance to the ego; confidence, excitement, and awareness
The ability to be an imposter, a true fraud, even a criminal manipulator, is possible in every human. By seeing it as an entertainment category on Netflix, as a story separate from ourselves, we comfort ourselves in thinking ‘that could never be me.’
The seed of impostor experiences in childhood
Reality Distortion: The internet’s impact on imposter phenomenon: endless & easy social comparison with zero context of the “metrics” by which we’re comparing ourselves; comparing our real, messy human experience to the highly curated online “lives” of others
How to use tools of mindfulness and awareness to carve your own path ahead and embrace the duality
“Charity starts at home” - Why we must take care of ourselves before we’re able to take care of others and the world.
How to start to address your own impostor experiences:
About Dr. Marc Reid:
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Marc Reid has a Master’s and PhD in chemistry, and worked as a research fellow and lecturer for innovation and education at the University of Bristol. Most recently, he was awarded the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship joining the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry University of Strathclyde in 2021. He has a visiting lectureship at the University of Bristol and a visiting enterprise fellowship in the Hunter Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde. Outside academia, founder of safety and accident readiness company PreSight Safety and Author of “You Are (Not) a Fraud: A Scientist's Guide to the Imposter Phenomenon”.
You Are Not A Fraud Book:
Purchase the book on Amazon here!
Book landing page: https://www.dr-marc-reid.com/book
Direct list of all places to buy the book: https://linktr.ee/reid__indeed
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