For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 13

Combatting Impostor
Phenomenon - An Overview
for Attorneys
Introduction
H
ave you ever felt like you do not really have what
it takes? Have you ever questioned your ability
to face a new challenge or opportunity? Have
you ever believed that despite your achievements and
abilities, you are not completely competent? Have you
ever imagined you just do not belong? If so, you are not
alone. The truth is that many successful, well-trained
and competent professionals, including attorneys, see
themselves as frauds who have fooled others into believing
they are qualified. Perhaps the first occasion of this was
recorded in the Book of Exodus, written approximately
3,000 years ago: Moses is described as saying, " Who am
I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out
of Egypt? " In more recent times, one of the most amazing
writers of our time, Nobel Laureate, Maya Angelou once
said, " I have written eleven books, but each time I think,
'Uh oh, they're going to find out now. I've run a game on
everybody and they're going to find me out.' " 1
This mismatch between confidence and qualifications
is referred to as the " impostor phenomenon. " Impostor
phenomenon manifests as feelings of self-doubt despite
one's
skills, achievements, and accomplishments. It
It is estimated that 70% of
is
accompanied by guilt that success is undeserved and fear
that exposure is imminent.2
people will experience impostor phenomenon at some
point in their lives.3
There are historic, cultural, and
societal factors that contribute to this feeling of selfdoubt,
including gender and racial bias, capitalism and
competition, and western cultural values of independence
and individualism. While these factors are important to
understand on a broad social level, an exploration of
the effects of each of these factors is beyond the scope
of this article. Instead, this article seeks to understand
this phenomenon, describe its characteristics and
consequences, and offer practical tools to counter
impostor feelings and develop a more positively balanced
self-concept.
Background and Theoretical Models of Impostor
Phenomenon
The term " impostor phenomenon, " was first coined
by two clinical psychologists who observed that several
highly successful female graduate students they
worked with did not internalize their own success but
instead viewed themselves as impostors.4
In fact, these
researchers found, that regardless of how well these
women performed and the success they attained in
their academic and professional careers, women who
exhibited the impostor phenomenon continued to
ascribe to a self-concept of lacking intelligence and
Vol. 7, Issue 2 l For The Defense 13
Michael T. Wiltsey, Ph.D.
and Elizabeth Foster, Ph.D.

For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2

Contents
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 1
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 2
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - Contents
For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 4
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For the Defense - Vol. 7, Issue 2 - 42
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