One of the greatest stressors on the quality of our lives is our social environment.
It takes incredible mental fortitude to ensure bad ideas aren’t controlling you.
Every culture and society develops ideas or social sentiments that catch on like a spark to dry grass.
And the most sinister of ideas are the ones that create an excuse for inaction.
A popular one today is ‘impostor syndrome.’
Take a look at this graph:
Before 2010, there were years in the Google Search world where the term was barely even queried.
THEN… social media comes along, and people start posturing with perfectly curated lives.
Filter this. Selfie that.
No flaws…just a perfectly curated self.
And what happens…
People start feeling insecure.
Well, guess what…when the emotionally fragile world we live in starts to validate their ‘feelings.’
We need to invent a syndrome.
Enter –> Impostor Syndrome.
And now there are ‘influencers,’ ‘content creators,’ and ‘experts’ needing likes, clicks, and comments.
So… just feed the masses something that confirms their self-sealing logic, issues, and beliefs with content that will get traction.
–> Insert a post about impostor syndrome here.
Sometimes, society talks about something so much that it creates a malady.
I’ve been playing between the six inches of people’s ears for 26+ years now, and impostor blah blah was NEVER a thing until recently.
It’s an invented mind virus that has ZERO verifiable data; it ACTUALLY exists.
(Btw… Its original term was ‘impostor phenomenon,’ coined in the 1970s. But that doesn’t sound as scary, does it? So it needed to get changed to keep you locked in psychological fear.)
⇒ Some people just suck at something and need to get better. (That’s not impostor syndrome; that’s just being a beginner.)
⇒ Some people lie about who or what they’re capable of. (That’s not impostor syndrome, that’s a liar.)
⇒ Some people are actually good but don’t believe in their skills. (That’s not impostor syndrome, that’s a perspective issue.)
Why does this matter?
Well, I see good people attempting hard things get fed a diet of mind viruses affecting their action muscles.
If you truly want to lead ‘A Peak Life,’ do your future you a favor and unshackle yourself from this term.
⇒ If you’re just starting out at something, embrace the suck, and laugh at it.
⇒ If you’re actually good at something, own it, and don’t apologize for it.
⇒ And if you’re someone who likes to help others steer clear of bad ideas, forward this to a friend or colleague.
You never know if it prevents them from swallowing one of society’s mind viruses.
Be Bold. Take Action. Leave a Mark.
Todd Herman
P.S. If someone forwarded you this article, you can subscribe to my weekly ‘A Peak Life’ newsletter below. Every week I’ll share one idea, framework, or perspective that will help you lead a life you’re excited for.