You’re Not an Imposter: Rethinking Imposter Syndrome

“I don’t belong here.”

This is the refrain, the defining thought pattern of imposter syndrome. The feeling that your success isn’t deserved or hasn’t been legitimately achieved as a result of your own efforts or skills isn’t unusual; in fact, a review of existing studies in 2020 found that imposter syndrome occurs in up to 82% of people.

The phenomenon is even more pervasive in elite universities and competitive spaces. As a Georgetown grad student myself, I have this thought all the time. Maybe you didn’t go to an elite high school or undergrad institution. Maybe it seems like everyone around you knows more than you do. Maybe your professional or academic goals feel smaller or different than your peers’, making you wonder if you’re less worthy. The variations are endless, but the core feeling is the same: I don’t belong.

But here’s what I’ve learned: I’m not the only one feeling this. I’ve talked with others after leaving classes that made me feel like I knew nothing compared to everyone around me, only to hear that they felt the exact same way. International student friends have shared that language barriers, a lack of representation, and cultural differences can make it hard to feel a sense of belonging in the classroom, in a cohort, or in internships. First-generation college students have described feeling like they’re constantly playing catch-up with unwritten rules everyone else seems to know. Students from underrepresented backgrounds have described walking into spaces where they’re the only one who looks like them.

The irony is that so many of us feel this way, at different moments and for different reasons. But I’ve become wary of this “diagnosis” of imposter syndrome, because it lumps together a whole spectrum of experiences under a single umbrella label and pathologizes them all in the same way.

At one end of the spectrum is self-doubt. Almost everyone experiences this at one time or another, with varying degrees of intensity and persistence. Most people wonder if they’re good enough or if they truly belong at times. Many fear being “found out” or that their achievements are undeserved. These feelings, especially prevalent among high achievers, often get labeled as imposter syndrome.

But we’re also using “imposter syndrome” to describe something very different: the psychological experiences and mental toll of being marginalized and excluded in classrooms, clubs, internships, workplaces, and leadership roles due to identity. In my own experiences, I’ve had the sense that certain peers’ voices were valued and trusted more than my own. I’ve also talked to other students who felt that peers from different backgrounds were taken more seriously and given more opportunities. These subtle dynamics are hard to “prove” – they are more about the culture and attitudes of those around you than specific, egregious displays of discrimination or obvious bias – but they contribute to a sense and feeling over time of unworthiness, that you don’t belong.

This dynamic is multiplied when we look through an intersectional lens that includes race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, socioeconomic background, and more. Labeling the mental impact of this kind of othering as “imposter syndrome” is reductive and even harmful, as it pathologizes the individual for feeling like they don’t belong rather than pathologizing the environment for making the individual feel like they don’t belong. It makes it seem like the work should be on you to “overcome imposter syndrome,” when actually, the culture needs to change in order to more effectively foster belonging.

Instead of using a single term to describe both universal feelings of self-doubt and the mental health impacts of being othered and undervalued, we should complexify the conversation and ask different questions. Instead of thinking about how to overcome imposter syndrome, we should put energy into working towards a culture of belonging. We should be more curious about why people in our community – whether in a cohort, a classroom, or a workplace – are feeling othered. Systems and culture change is much harder, but much more worthwhile.

It’s helpful to know that, no matter where on this spectrum of concerns around belonging you find yourself, there is a supportive space to talk about it at the Office of the Student Ombuds (OSO):

When you’re experiencing self-doubt, the OSO is here to listen, offer a confidential and empathetic space to process what you’re feeling, and help you connect with supportive resources.
When your experiences are shaped by bias, exclusion, or discrimination, the OSO’s role expands to include exploration of a wide range of options for action, or simply to provide a safe place to talk through what’s happening if you’re not ready to take action.

These are not the same challenges, and they do not deserve the same label. One reflects a shared human experience around self-doubt in competitive environments; the other is the mental impact of existing in a system that wasn’t built with everyone in mind. Naming these differences is an important step toward building a more inclusive community.

As you navigate your own path, be thoughtful about the language you use for your experiences, and trust what those experiences are telling you. And if you ever want to think through your options, better understand the dynamics at play, or just talk with someone who will listen without judgment, know that the OSO’s door is open.

Contact the Ombuds

Click here to book an appointment or send an email to the Ombuds at studentombuds@georgetown.edu. You can also give us a call at (202) 784-1081 if that’s easier.

– This OmBlog was written by Isabel Brooke, MA candidate in Conflict Resolution (M’25)

References/Footnotes

Cleveland Clinic. “How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome.” January 9, 2025.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/a-psychologist-explains-how-to-deal-with-imposter-syndrome.

Tulshyan, Ruchika, and Jodi-Ann Burey. “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome.”

Harvard Business Review, February 11, 2021. https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome.