IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: A PROGRAMMER'S PERSPECTIVE

We all know that the term impostor is related to falsely attributing oneself to someone or something as well as pretending or deceiving with the appearance of truth. But there is a very common phenomenon where several studies find that between 9% and around 82% of people on work-related probation suffer during the last few years, and we are not exactly talking about Among Us.

From senior corporate and influential figures to people close to our daily social circle, including family members and probably ourselves, that's right, it is indeed the Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, fraud syndrome, perceived fraudulence, or the impostor experience) describes high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor.

It would seem normal to have this feeling after an interview or getting into the job you wanted, and in fact, it is a feeling you experience in conjunction with other people, but it is really a prime example of lack of motivation, self-sabotage, low self-esteem and lack of personal confidence.

Different authors broaden the spectrum of this phenomenon, from normal conditioning due to a competitive environment, where the brain wants to keep everything in order, to an opportunity for growth as you open yourself to learn things you didn't know and accept that you don't know everything, as well as the possibility of interfering with a person's mental health and overall functioning.

From my personal perspective as a freelancer programmer, every day comes new challenges, projects, and opportunities, maybe at the beginning you will always see a very high wall that you will not be able to cross, but these kinds of challenges always motivate me to want to solve them, and have the complacency to enjoy my achievement, I think that's where I found my motivation.

In conclusion, some of the strategies to deal with the impostor syndrome are based on working on your personal confidence, remembering to focus on the facts, sharing how you feel, remember that there will always be a way to solve the problems no matter how big they are. Remember that you are not alone, look for a mentor, lean on your coworkers or your work team, feel proud and celebrate your own achievements, do not forget that you are worth a lot.

Article by: Luis Vargas