impostor syndrome

Noun

impostor syndrome (usually uncountable, plural impostor syndromes)

1. (usually) A psychological phenomenon in which a person is unable to internalize their accomplishments, remaining convinced that they do not deserve any accompanying success.
   • The office family is not the only phenomenon to watch out for at work. Another common psychological pitfall is something called the "impostor syndrome."1984, Gay Bryant, The Working Woman Report: Succeeding in Business in the 80s, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 177
   • The Myth of Growth and the surfacing of the Authentic Voice, with a dash of the Impostor Syndrome thrown in for good measure, combine to deprive women from deriving satisfaction out of the boring details of technical mastery.1987, Sarah Hardesty, Nehama Jacobs, “Seeds of Disenchantment”, in Success and Betrayal: The Crisis of Women in Corporate America, 1st Touchstone edition, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN...