Last week, while giving a seminar, I suddenly felt as if the sentences coming out of my mouth weren't mine. And the brain controllingthat mouth didn't seem to be mine either. This was not the first time I had suffered 'imposter syndrome'. Although not officially recognized as a psychological disorder, it might have been if doctors had used me as a case study a few years back. Whether I had success in sub-cloning a long DNA fragment or fashioning a unique . experimental design, I would usually attribute such accomplishments to luck. I was relieved to discover that imposter syndrome is widespread in academia: sometimes successful people are unable to accept that their accomplishments are deserved. In extreme cases, I've heard it can lead people to avoid challenges altogether, for fear of failure. Fortunately, I have never suffered to that extent.
展开▼
