When You Feel Like a Fake

Writing for Psychology Today, Carlin Flora says that everyone suffers from what’s commonly known as Imposter Syndrome at some point in their lives. First, though, she corrects the popular notion that it’s actually a psychological problem. “There’s no disorder, no diagnosis, no cure,” she writes.  “Impostor phenomenon, or IP, [is]a term coined in the late … Continue reading When You Feel Like a Fake

Competence Rules

Valerie Young is the author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It. In a previous post, I wrote about how many of us have a set of rules inside us that determine whether someone is truly successful (or talented … Continue reading Competence Rules

Think Like a High Earner

under-earners are often vague about money issues, or ambivalent about earning high salaries.  Her under earner’s quiz includes self-evaluation statements such as “I often give away my services (volunteering, working more hours than I’m actually paid)”, “It’s so hard to ask for a raise (or raise fees) that I just don’t do it,” and “Recognition and praise are more important to me than money.”

Fake It Til You Make It

Valerie Young is the author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It.  Among her lessons for (mostly) women who suffer from Impostor Syndrome is “learn to fake it.” Young spends considerable time on the subject of why men suffer … Continue reading Fake It Til You Make It

When Bad Things Happen, Part 2

I wrote in a previous post that what happens to you in life is less important than the story you tell yourself about it before or afterward. Every day, whether it’s the best or worst of your life, is made up of the same 24 hours.  This, too, will pass, if you let it. But … Continue reading When Bad Things Happen, Part 2

Creeping Determinism

This is one of a series of posts based on the book Everything is Obvious, Once You Know the Answer by Duncan Watts. Watts is a sociologist who is a principal researcher at Microsoft Research and a Professor at Large at Cornell University. When we hear a story, whether it ends well or badly, we … Continue reading Creeping Determinism

Uncommon Common Sense

This is one of a series of posts based on the book Everything is Obvious, Once You Know the Answer by Duncan Watts. Watts is a sociologist who is a principal researcher at Microsoft Research and a Professor at Large at Cornell University. He was a professor of Sociology at Columbia University from 2000-2007, and then a … Continue reading Uncommon Common Sense