What is imposter syndrome and how can you combat it? - Elizabeth Cox

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Even after writing eleven books and winning several prestigious awards,

即使是寫了十一本書 且贏得了數個聲望很高的獎項，

Maya Angelou couldn’t escape the nagging doubt

馬雅安傑洛仍無法 脫離那惱人的懷疑，

that she hadn’t really earned her accomplishments.

她無法相信她的成就 是她靠自己得來的。

Albert Einstein experienced something similar:

愛因斯坦也有過類似的經歷：

he described himself as an “involuntary swindler”

他把自己描述成 一個「非自願的騙子」，

whose work didn’t deserve as much attention as it had received.

他的研究不值得 得到這麼多的關注。

Accomplishments at the level of Angelou’s or Einstein’s are rare,

安傑洛和愛因斯坦 等級的成就是很稀有的，

but their feeling of fraudulence is extremely common.

但他們這種詐欺的 感覺其實很常見。

Why can’t so many of us shake feelings

為何有這麼多人 無法擺脫這種感覺，

that we haven’t earned our accomplishments,

認為自己的成就 不是靠自己得來的，

or that our ideas and skills aren’t worthy of others’ attention?

或者自己的點子及技能 不值得其他人注意？

Psychologist Pauline Rose Clance was the first to study

心理學家波林蘿絲克蘭斯 首先開始研究

this unwarranted sense of insecurity.

這種沒根據的不安全感。

In her work as a therapist,

在擔任心理治療師時，

she noticed many of her undergraduate patients shared a concern:

她注意到她的許多大學生 病人都有同樣的憂慮：

though they had high grades,

雖然他們的成績很好，

they didn’t believe they deserved their spots at the university.

他們卻不相信他們能夠進入大學。

Some even believed their acceptance had been an admissions error.

有些人甚至相信他們的申請 被接受是因為入學許可的疏失。

While Clance knew these fears were unfounded,

雖然克蘭斯知道 這些恐懼是沒根據的，

she could also remember feeling the exact same way in graduate school.

但她也記得在讀研究所時 就有著同樣的感覺。

She and her patients experienced something that goes by a number of names--

她和她的病人所經歷到的 狀況，有許多名稱——

imposter phenomenon,

冒名頂替現象、

imposter experience,

冒名頂替經驗，

and imposter syndrome.

以及冒名頂替症候群。

Together with colleague Suzanne Imes,

克蘭斯和她的同事蘇珊艾姆絲

Clance first studied imposterism in female college students and faculty.

首先開始研究大學女學生 及女教職員工的冒名頂替特性。

Their work established pervasive feelings of fraudulence in this group.

他們的研究證實這一類的人 普遍會有詐欺的感受。

Since that first study,

從那第一篇研究之後，

the same thing has been established across gender,

同樣的現象也被發現 會出現在各種性別、

race,

種族、年齡，

age,

and a huge range of occupations,

以及相當多種職業當中，

though it may be more prevalent and disproportionately affect

不過，這在少數或弱勢族群當中

the experiences of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.

會更常見，且對他們的影響也更大。

To call it a syndrome is to downplay how universal it is.

把它稱為症候群， 其實是低估了它的普遍程度。

It's not a disease or an abnormality,

它不是疾病，也不是不正常的，

and it isn’t necessarily tied to depression,

它也不見得就會關聯到憂鬱、

anxiety,

焦慮，或自尊。

or self-esteem.

Where do these feelings of fraudulence come from?

這些詐欺的感覺是哪裡來的？

People who are highly skilled or accomplished

技能很好或是成就很高的人

tend to think others are just as skilled.

傾向認為其他人也同樣有技能。

This can spiral into feelings that they don’t deserve accolades

這可能會讓人覺得他們不應該得到

and opportunities over other people.

超越他人的榮譽和機會。

And as Angelou and Einstein experienced,

就像安傑洛及愛因斯坦的經歷，

there’s often no threshold of accomplishment

不是說成就到了多高的門檻之後，

that puts these feelings to rest.

這些感受就不會再出現。

Feelings of imposterism aren’t restricted to highly skilled individuals, either.

冒名頂替的感受 並不限於技能很好的人。

Everyone is susceptible to a phenomenon known as pluralistic ignorance,

人人都很容易被一個現象影響， 就是大家所知的「多數的無知」，

where we each doubt ourselves privately,

也就是說，每個人 私底下都懷疑自己，

but believe we’re alone in thinking that way

但相信只有自己是那樣想的，

because no one else voices their doubts.

因為沒有其他人說出他們的懷疑。

Since it’s tough to really know how hard our peers work,

因為很難真正知道 我們的同儕有多努力，

how difficult they find certain tasks,

他們覺得某些工作任務有多困難，

or how much they doubt themselves,

或是他們有多懷疑自己，

there’s no easy way to dismiss feelings that we’re less capable

認為周遭的人能力比我們好的感受

than the people around us.

就不可能被消除。

Intense feelings of imposterism

強烈的冒名頂替感

can prevent people from sharing their great ideas

會讓人無法分享他們很棒的點子

or applying for jobs and programs where they’d excel.

或無法應徵那些他們明明可以 做得很出色的工作或專案。

At least so far,

至少，目前，

the most surefire way to combat imposter syndrome

對抗冒名頂替症候群最有效的方式

is to talk about it.

就是去談它。

Many people suffering from imposter syndrome

許多飽受冒名頂替症候群之苦的人

are afraid that if they ask about their performance,

擔心若詢問他們表現得如何，

their fears will be confirmed.

答案會確認他們所害怕的事。

And even when they receive positive feedback,

即使他們得到正面的回饋意見，

it often fails to ease feelings of fraudulence.

通常也無法抒緩詐欺的感受。

But on the other hand,

但，另一方面，

hearing that an advisor or mentor has experienced feelings of imposterism

若聽說有位顧問或導師曾經 經歷過冒名頂替的感受，

can help relieve those feelings.

就能協助減輕這些感受。

The same goes for peers.

對於同儕也是一樣的。

Even simply finding out there’s a term for these feelings

光是知道有個詞專門 是在表示這些感覺，

can be an incredible relief.

就能讓人釋懷許多。

Once you’re aware of the phenomenon,

一旦你察覺了這個現象，

you can combat your own imposter syndrome

你就能對抗你自己的 冒名頂替症候群，

by collecting and revisiting positive feedback.

方法是收集和重新檢視 正面的回饋意見。

One scientist who kept blaming herself for problems in her lab

有位科學一直把她的實驗室中 發生的問題歸咎於自己，

started to document the causes every time something went wrong.

後來她開始在每次出錯時 就把原因記錄下來。

Eventually, she realized most of the problems

最終，她發現大部分的問題

came from equipment failure,

都是因為設備故障，

and came to recognize her own competence.

她漸漸能夠認可自己的能力。

We may never be able to banish these feelings entirely,

我們可能永遠無法 完全消除這些感受，

but we can have open conversations about academic or professional challenges.

但我們能開放地去談 學術上或專業上的困難之處。

With increasing awareness of how common these experiences are,

隨著我們越來越清楚 這些經歷有多常見，

perhaps we can feel freer to be frank about our feelings

也許我們也會能更自在地 坦言我們的感受，

and build confidence in some simple truths:

建立信心，相信一些簡單的事實：

you have talent,

你有天份，你有能力，

you are capable,

and you belong.

且你夠格。