Unpacking the Stories in Our Heads: A DEI Framing of Imposter Phenomenon

Have you ever felt like an imposter in your own story? Oddly enough, it is a very common occurrence, as up to 82% of people have felt like an imposter at some point in their life (Bravata et al., 2020). You might have heard of the term imposter syndrome used to describe this feeling, but it was originally coined as imposter phenomenon by psychologists Dr. Pauline Rose Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes.

Imposter Phenomenon, in its purest form, feels like a pretty normal feeling. Dr. Clance and Dr. Imes would tell us that the phenomenon occurs when you feel like your success is random, luck, or even a fluke, instead of experiencing your wins as a result of your knowledge and skill (Clance, 2013). Normal, right? This idea of not being good enough or the fear/worry that you might fail feels like a typical feeling that many of us have. My concern, however, is that these are not always inherent feelings but rather a reflection of what we are being taught as right or normal. This is especially true for folks who hold minoritized identities and are told by those who are more privileged (either overtly or with subtle cues) that their norms are, in fact, not normal.

Let’s first try to understand the terminology. When using the term “phenomenon,” this normal feeling is described as something we are observing about ourselves and our experiences. Whereas “syndrome” is often used to describe a pathology or health disorder with multiple symptoms that needs curing/fixing. We know that this feeling is often referred to as imposter syndrome, so it can be easy to accept this feeling as something more unique, as well as something that you have to cure on your own (Merriam-Webster, 2026).

Having created a distinction between phenomenon and syndrome, this still begs the question, what makes us feel like an imposter in the first place? Is this feeling even normal? As people who engage with the world, we are constantly grappling with how we experience ourselves, how we present ourselves to the world, and what the world shares back about our presentation (Jamison, 2023). Depending on whether we view this question of being an imposter as a phenomenon or a syndrome, we are required to grapple with different elements of how we engage with the world. A phenomenon requires us to grapple with what the world shares back, while a syndrome requires us to grapple with how we present ourselves to the world. So which is it? 

Is this feeling of being an imposter a reflection of ourselves or a reflection of the world around us? Are we being exposed as being inadequate, or is this idea of inadequacy and where it comes from needing to be put into question?

Let’s dive a bit further down this rabbit hole. First off, being an imposter implies intentional deception (Merriam-Webster, 2026). So why, for those with good intentions, is there still this feeling of being deceptive or of misrepresenting ourselves to others? It is because being an imposter, beyond the deceitfulness, is regarded as being in spaces that we are not supposed to be in. This is where this feeling goes beyond our intentions, because we now have to ask questions about the spaces around us and our sense of belonging. Therefore, the framing matters on whether we are coining this term as imposter syndrome or imposter phenomenon:

• An imposter syndrome framing might sound like: “I should not be in this space, and that is a problem I have to deal with.”

• While an imposter phenomenon framing might sound like: “This space was not built with me in mind, and what can be done to change this?”

This fundamentally changes the perception of being an imposter, because we have to critically investigate our spaces, systems, and structures for how they center and prioritize a specific experience. Rather than an internal and normalized feeling of being an imposter, we may be experiencing an external feeling of disenfranchisement within spaces that were never made for us (Tulshyan & Burey, 2021).

So let’s call this what it appears to be: manufactured disenfranchisement masked/popularized as imposter syndrome.

And as such, it acts as a reflection of societal norms and highlights a feeling of disconnection in how we are performing in society. That we may not be meeting the expectations or conforming to what is perceived to be the normal or right way to engage in certain spaces. We finally cope by calling ourselves imposters to get us back on track and conform to those established standards.

We are taught, even in the ways we cope, that it is easier to change our own behavior and adjust, rather than to change the systems around us. Think of some of these normalized concepts that go unchallenged:

• The 9-5 work environment is the default standard, more specifically in an office.

• You have to go to college to be successful.

• Hard work is the great equalizer on this journey toward the American Dream.

• Retirement benefits will be afforded to all citizens.

• It is better to be extroverted than introverted.

• There is a correct way to speak or sound professional.

• Certain beliefs or societies are morally superior to others.

• Words can’t possibly cause harm.

• Intentions matter more than impact.

• Certain bodies are inherently more beautiful than others.

These assumptions, as well as many more, go unchecked and unquestioned daily, which plays a role in shaping our systems and spaces. These assumptions are not inevitabilities; they are social constructions. They help create in-groups and out-groups, which make people feel alienated, disenfranchised, and feel like an imposter within spaces that never had them in mind.

I have been made to feel like an imposter many times in my life, but one of the examples that rings truest relates to my biracial identity. Growing up, I was told frequently that I was either too white for Black folks or too Black for white folks. Even though it’s assumed that I’m not fully Black (or not even Black at all) based on my lighter, yet still brown skin complexion, this concept for me is palpable. Since I went to historically and predominantly white schools all my life, I would often have to intentionally seek out Black spaces, even if I did not always “fit in.” And in the white spaces I occupied so frequently, I would often hear the phrase: “Wow, you are so composed and well spoken!” It reinforces this idea that there is surprise in my ability to conform to standards meant to keep me out of certain spaces. Statements like that were neither endearing nor complimentary.

As we make attempts to transform our society into a better place for everyone, we have to be willing to accept cultural interrogations. This means being open to shifting what it means to be good enough in society and who gets to decide these standards. We can either continue to contribute to and perpetuate these ideas, or we can find alternative ways to think about how we live together.

So, as I wrap up this thought piece, I want to leave you with considerations for self-interrogation that can hopefully lead to cultures of belonging, psychological safety, authentic connection, and fewer feelings of being an imposter:

• What is this sensation I am feeling? Where is it coming from?

• Is this feeling connected to me or something I have been taught about the world?

• When was this message/assumption first taught, and where/how is it being reinforced?

• Who is part of the in-group and out-group based on this assumption?

• What systems of power allow for this assumption to thrive?

• How do I benefit from the system itself? What is my role in perpetuating this system? 

• How can I pivot myself and those around me toward more inclusive systems?

• What repair can be done with those I have impacted?

This framing of being a phenomenon more than a syndrome, even though imperfect, still highlights that this is a systems issue that each of us has a responsibility in changing together. But it is the word imposter that is troublesome. Being in a world that systemically normalizes this feeling of being an imposter is neither normal nor a world that we have to live in. We can instead make the concerted choice as a society to diminish normalized behaviors of othering and create cultures of belonging in its place.