YOGYAKARTA Often doubts self- ability, associated with an impostor syndrome. Although not the only symptom, self-confidence can hinder various aspects, from career to relationship.

Impostor syndrome (IS) or fraudster syndrome, according to research quoted by psychology teacher and author Edward Hoffman, Ph.D., those who experience it report persistent feelings of doubt, fear of making mistakes, and difficulty accepting praise for their achievements. Research also shows more men who also experience IS, but scientific consensus shows IS common among women, race, ethnicity, and minority religion.

In the search for Hoffman found 15,000 publication entries since 2019 that investigated IS conditions. Including in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Romania, and Turkey.

Usually, someone who experiences IS attributes achievements not to personal abilities, but to luck or other external conditions. In the first wave of research, doubts about their ability to be associated with the personality of the deficit, such as work fatigue, high anxiety, perfectionism, and low self-esteem. These aspects are often traced to authoritarian parenting and are especially overprotective.

Research in the second wave, more recently, focused on broader social factors affecting the IS. Among them are micro aggression, systemic bias, and racism, one of which is published in Harvard Business Review, showing that workplaces are misguided and disproportionate due to discriminatory systems and abuse of power.

The third factor, according to Hoffman, refers to Abraham Maslow, which emphasizes the lack of adequate assistance. The reason is, because IS often sees inauthentic feelings coupled with existential loneliness. This reveals, the existence of an empty self and unconditional positive award does not appear.

Through this reference, from Maslow, Hoffman was reported by Psychology Today, Monday, July 31, it is important to develop guidance centered on growth that serves as a quality role model, such as authenticity, integrity, self-reflection, and willingness to leave defensive and pretending attitudes. Because syndrome is an impression of inability, maybe one needs to note that he is valuable. If you are a perfectionist, maybe vulnerable to IS because you pursue an impossible perfection. Therefore, you must lower your standards to feel competent and commendable.


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