Imposter Syndrome

GC:OPINION Imposter Syndrome

Listening to a podcast about the life of the late great Anthony Bourdain, it was interesting to hear the discussion recount how he struggled to rationalise the transition to becoming successful in both print and TV. Having come from running a kitchen, his daily life consisted of managing a group of line chefs, along with working the long hours and stressful environment that come with running a kitchen. With his initial success of the publication of his first book called Kitchen Confidential, and soon after his first major TV hit No Reservations, he felt it hard to rationalise the success he found in his new life.

His biographer Laurie Woolever discussed he had problems separating the old Anthony Bourdain who would probably not like the new version who had found fame. He would feel he had become a parody of the celebrity chef which they all often laughed at in the heat of the kitchen.

She went further, in saying that during a sell out book tour he always felt that the rug would be pulled from under his feet. and this would be his fifteen minutes of fame would soon end leading to the inevitable return to his life as a line cook.

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It took him a long time to get used to the idea of celebrity and all the wealth and trappings that came with this, including the more challenging aspects of intrusion into your private life which you can only imagine to be incredibly hard to adjust to after many decades of anonymity,

After listening to the interview, it led me to think more about the phenomena known as impostor syndrome and how it gets into our head when we initially achieve some modicum of success in our lives. Moreover, if there is a reason for this, assess how to rationalise and manage it.

Imposter syndrome can be loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud in the fortuitous situation that you have found yourself in. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments for one reason or another, with many questioning whether they’re deserving of accolades.

Imposter syndrome, which is also known as perceived fraudulence involves feelings of self doubt and personal incompetence that can afflict you despite your education experience, and professional accomplishments.

If you have ever felt this phenomenon, then don’t worry you are not alone. In a 2019 review of 62 studies, it found that upto 82% of people report having thoughts along these lines at some point. A result of this going untreated it can lead to people working harder and holding themselves to ever higher standards,which inevitably leads to increasing pressure on your mental health and long term performance.

If this is statistically correct with so many of us experiencing this, what are the sensations and thought processes like?

Familiar patterns of behavior could be if your peers are praising your well deserved efforts which you then write off as good timing or luck, feeling that they have not been earned based on your own merit, rather it is outside factors which played a large part in your success.

One of the dire consequences of this process is that you can find yourself working harder which in theory keeps others from recognizing your professional shortcomings or perceived failures. You look to become worthy of the roles you have gained, which you believe aren’t deserved, or make up for what you consider your lack of intelligence.

With the work cycle increasing, your further accomplishments fail to offer you the self assurance you need, and you consider them nothing more of a product of your efforts to maintain the self perceived illusion of your success.

The good news is that this can be addressed by carrying out several actions. You can start by acknowledging your feelings and bring them out into the light which will help a great deal. By discussing the matter with those close to you, this can help you when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Try to avoid the urge to take on all the roles and do everything yourself and learn to delegate roles and responsibilities. By sharing the responsibilities with your team or others in your locale, this can also help them also, as they perhaps may covertly be having to deal with the same condition.

Finally challenge your doubts when these feelings surface. Ask yourself if you have any actual facts to support these beliefs and are true. Look for real evidence to counter them and not focus on the small mistakes that we all make.Focus on the successes that got you to where you are at now.

Logically speaking, if you were incredibly bad in your role, or in your relationship then the other parties involved would soon call you out on this. If you are consistently receiving encouragement and recognition that’s a good sign that you are doing something right and take it for what it is.

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In short, give yourself a break. Even if it is only fifteen minutes of fame or 50 years of continued success, just enjoy the ride. You have got to where you are on your own ability so cut yourself some slack and dont be so hard on yourself...you deserve the success.

You can read the books about Anthony Bourdain by Laurie Wollever and Anthony Bourdain with their titles World Travel: An irreverent Guide and Bourdain: The definitive oral biography. Alternatively you can watch his TV shows No Reservations, Parts Unknown, The Layover and A Cook’s Tour.