Imagine you get an A+ on a test, but instead of feeling happy, you think, 'Everyone else is smarter than me.' That’s imposter syndrome, when people believe they’re not as capable as others even though they have proof they're doing well. It can happen to anyone, like when a kid wins a game and thinks the other players were just lucky.
Examples
- A kid wins a spelling bee but thinks everyone else just knew the words by chance.
- A student gets an A on a test and believes it was because the teacher liked them.
- An artist makes a hit song but feels like they were just lucky.
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See also
- Why Do We Get 'The Imposter Syndrome'?
- What are cognitive distortions?
- What are cognitive-behavioral models?
- What are chronic anxiety disorders?
- What are neurological and psychiatric disorders?