BIORYA Observatory · Psychology · 6 min read

Impostor syndrome: the little voice that says you don't deserve your place

"They'll find out I'm winging it." If that sentence sounds familiar, you are in very good company: up to 7 people out of 10 experience it at least once. Here is where the voice comes from — and how to answer it.

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The phenomenon was described in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes: talented people convinced their success is a misunderstanding — luck, timing, charm — and terrified of being "found out". The twist that says it all: impostor feelings hit hardest among competent, demanding people. Real impostors rarely worry about being impostors.

Person sitting alone at the end of a wooden pontoon facing a mountain lake
The impostor voice thrives in isolation — it quiets down as soon as you compare notes with others.

1. Recognising it

The attributionSuccesses = luck. Failures = proof of who I really am
The fearBeing "unmasked", one day, in front of everyone
The strategiesOver-preparing everything — or postponing everything
The complimentDeflected, minimised, never quite absorbed
Who it touchesAll genders, all levels — including experts
What it is notA mental illness — it's a thinking pattern, and it moves

2. Why the brain does this

The failure spotlight

The brain archives failures in high definition and successes in low resolution — a negativity bias that was useful for survival, less so for self-esteem.

The backstage comparison

You compare your backstage — doubts, drafts, hesitations — with everyone else's show reel. The match is rigged by design.

Perfectionism, the fuel

If the bar is "flawless", every normal imperfection reads as proof of fraud. The higher your standards, the louder the voice.

New ground, louder voice

Promotions, career changes, going solo: impostor feelings spike precisely when you grow. It is often a sign of movement, not of fraud.

3. A few numbers

70 %of people experience impostor feelings at least once in their life, according to review studies
1978Clance & Imes name the phenomenon after studying high-achieving women
60+studies reviewed in the largest systematic review to date (2020)
0official diagnosis: it is not a disorder — it's a pattern, and patterns can change

4. Answering the voice

Keep the receipts

Write down facts: finished projects, positive feedback, problems solved. The voice argues with feelings; answer it with a written record.

Say it out loud

Impostor feelings shrink dramatically when shared — mostly because the other person almost always answers "me too".

Compare to yesterday's you

The only fair comparison: you, six months ago. Progress is the one metric the impostor voice cannot argue with.

Let doubt do its real job

A reasonable dose of doubt makes you prepare, check, improve. The goal isn't to silence it — it's to demote it from judge to assistant.

Educational content, not medical advice. If self-doubt comes with lasting anxiety or exhaustion, a psychologist is a real ally.

5. And day to day?

The strongest antidote to the impostor voice is a written, factual record of your days — exactly what a journal builds. In the BIORYA Journal app, the morning intention forces one clear priority (instead of a vague "prove yourself"), and the evening note reflects your day back with some kindness. Over the weeks, the written trail becomes hard evidence the little voice can't talk away.

6. Sources

  • Clance P. R., Imes S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice.
  • Sakulku J., Alexander J. (2011). The Impostor Phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioral Science.
  • Bravata D. M. et al. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: a systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine.
  • Baumeister R. F. et al. (2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of General Psychology.

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