Poll: Have you ever heard about "Imposter Syndrome"?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Nov 14

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever heard about "Imposter Syndrome"?".

View the poll results »



Mohamed Ahmed
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 19:27
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yes Nov 14

After over 30 years working full-time, plus a few more part-time, I have to be confident in myself and my ability; though from time to time when dealing with longish assignments I’m prone to bouts of self-doubt (Will I finish on time? Am I doing a good job?), but then I dust myself off, take a coffee, pick myself up, and get right back into it!

Carla Selyer
Dan Lucas
mariant
 
Gjorgji Apostolovski
Gjorgji Apostolovski  Identity Verified
North Macedonia
Local time: 20:27
English to Macedonian
+ ...
respect to all legitimate success Nov 14

Respect to all who legitimately success in their field, don't be necessary translations and related to translations, but begging from my elementary school, all I can say is that I saw certain people's "success". We have children which parents were from the high class of people and always had A's with minimal effort, we have teachers who are asking something for to give A's, etc... Now when I'm grown up, I see women "success" with their "skills", I see men who pays for their "success" in all kind... See more
Respect to all who legitimately success in their field, don't be necessary translations and related to translations, but begging from my elementary school, all I can say is that I saw certain people's "success". We have children which parents were from the high class of people and always had A's with minimal effort, we have teachers who are asking something for to give A's, etc... Now when I'm grown up, I see women "success" with their "skills", I see men who pays for their "success" in all kind of fields, especially politics and business. This is the reality and we all must admit that the game isn't fair.

[Edited at 2024-11-14 16:18 GMT]
Collapse


 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 20:27
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
English Nov 14

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Respect to all who legitimately success in their field, don't be necessary translations and related to translations, but begging from my elementary school, all I can say is that I saw certain people's "success". We have children which parents were from the high class of people and always had A's with minimal effort, we have teachers who are asking something to give A's, etc... Now when I'm grown up, I see women "success" with their "skills", I see men who pays for their "success" in all kind of fields, especially politics and business. This is the reality and we all must admit that the game isn't fair.


I haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about, but I see that you offer translations into English. That's interesting.


Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Rachel Waddington
Iulia Parvu
Philip Lees
Angie Garbarino
Jorge Payan
 
Gjorgji Apostolovski
Gjorgji Apostolovski  Identity Verified
North Macedonia
Local time: 20:27
English to Macedonian
+ ...
you understand Nov 14

Lieven Malaise wrote:

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Respect to all who legitimately success in their field, don't be necessary translations and related to translations, but begging from my elementary school, all I can say is that I saw certain people's "success". We have children which parents were from the high class of people and always had A's with minimal effort, we have teachers who are asking something to give A's, etc... Now when I'm grown up, I see women "success" with their "skills", I see men who pays for their "success" in all kind of fields, especially politics and business. This is the reality and we all must admit that the game isn't fair.


I haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about, but I see that you offer translations into English. That's interesting.


Use one of your AI tools if you don't understand English, I can see that you are from Belgium, probably French.


 
Mario Chávez
Mario Chávez
United States
Local time: 14:27
Member (Jun 2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
What the imposter syndrome is all about Nov 14

The so-called imposter syndrome was the name given by two American psychologists in the 70s who did research on a number of professional women and wrote about it. As with many other American-born ideas, this was commoditized and popularized in social media to the point that many people, including many of our colleagues, sincerely believe that imposter syndrome is a legitimate psychological condition. It is not. There are several criticisms that have been levelled against this behavioral p... See more
The so-called imposter syndrome was the name given by two American psychologists in the 70s who did research on a number of professional women and wrote about it. As with many other American-born ideas, this was commoditized and popularized in social media to the point that many people, including many of our colleagues, sincerely believe that imposter syndrome is a legitimate psychological condition. It is not. There are several criticisms that have been levelled against this behavioral phenomenon (see https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome for example). I would suggest to look at the literature with a very critical eye.

The gist of imposter syndrome: high-achieving women (and by extension, any high-achieving individual) fall prey to self-doubt and fear that they will be found out or exposed as fake or not-so-successful. It's a kind of paranoia construct, in my view, a consequence of the American navel-gazing practiced by economically or professionally successful individuals. I would also recommend reading on American individualism and its extremes. One of such extremes is the postmodernist emphasis on the individual's feelings and emotions as more important for identity, achievement and success than the individual's connections to the society at large or to family or circle of friends.

In short, self-doubt in times of anxiety is nothing new. It's just been repackaged to serve it up as some faddish psychological condition deserving of attention and protection.
Collapse


Rachel Waddington
P.L.F. Persio
neilmac
Maria Laura Curzi
Daryo
María Eugenia Wachtendorff
mariant
 
Gjorgji Apostolovski
Gjorgji Apostolovski  Identity Verified
North Macedonia
Local time: 20:27
English to Macedonian
+ ...
not only in America and not only women Nov 14

Mario Chávez wrote:

The so-called imposter syndrome was the name given by two American psychologists in the 70s who did research on a number of professional women and wrote about it. As with many other American-born ideas, this was commoditized and popularized in social media to the point that many people, including many of our colleagues, sincerely believe that imposter syndrome is a legitimate psychological condition. It is not. There are several criticisms that have been levelled against this behavioral phenomenon (see https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome for example). I would suggest to look at the literature with a very critical eye.

The gist of imposter syndrome: high-achieving women (and by extension, any high-achieving individual) fall prey to self-doubt and fear that they will be found out or exposed as fake or not-so-successful. It's a kind of paranoia construct, in my view, a consequence of the American navel-gazing practiced by economically or professionally successful individuals. I would also recommend reading on American individualism and its extremes. One of such extremes is the postmodernist emphasis on the individual's feelings and emotions as more important for identity, achievement and success than the individual's connections to the society at large or to family or circle of friends.

In short, self-doubt in times of anxiety is nothing new. It's just been repackaged to serve it up as some faddish psychological condition deserving of attention and protection.


I'm talking in general, not about translation field, where are women which success is very questionable. There are exceptions, of course, let's say Marie Sklodowska-Curie and others. For example here at Balkans, where I live, the turbo-folk female singers are all auto tune singers, performing with playback on live events, and I can say that 90% don't know how to sing, but they know how to dance, that's for sure. And they are all beautiful, and if they aren't there is plastic surgery, I mean beauty is the main condition for success in singing, or it was in modeling, I'm not sure. You tell me. This is just an example. And another example popular at Balkans for females and males is a marriage for green card in the US. So, thank you for the links and the origin of this so called Imposter syndrome, but we can all see with our own eyes what is happening everywhere. And I personally think that this syndrome is far more older than 70s and it's worst than corruption.

[Edited at 2024-11-14 16:47 GMT]


 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:27
German to English
Yes Nov 14

Every time I got paid, I said to myself "Fooled them again!"

Lieven Malaise
Iulia Parvu
Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Matthias Brombach
Philip Lees
neilmac
 
Iulia Parvu
Iulia Parvu  Identity Verified
Romania
Local time: 21:27
Member (2022)
English to Romanian
+ ...
Next poll question ... Nov 14

... Should be about the Dunning - Kruger effect


I haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about, but I see that you offer translations into English. That's interesting. [/quote]


Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Lieven Malaise
Philip Lees
P.L.F. Persio
Maria Laura Curzi
Victoria Faucher
María Eugenia Wachtendorff
 
Gjorgji Apostolovski
Gjorgji Apostolovski  Identity Verified
North Macedonia
Local time: 20:27
English to Macedonian
+ ...
you understand too Nov 14

Iulia Parvu wrote:

... Should be about the Dunning - Kruger effect


I haven't got the faintest idea what you are talking about, but I see that you offer translations into English. That's interesting.
[/quote]

It should be Dunning - Kruger effect, some freelance female translator on internet overestimated hers abilities and she's thinking that she is psychologist.

And she and all here understand what I am talking about, but it isn't in your favour.

[Edited at 2024-11-14 20:29 GMT]


 
Gjorgji Apostolovski
Gjorgji Apostolovski  Identity Verified
North Macedonia
Local time: 20:27
English to Macedonian
+ ...
crumbs for chickens Nov 14

Kevin Fulton wrote:

Every time I got paid, I said to myself "Fooled them again!"


Hey, man, don't you get feeling that someone is looking at these posts and saying: Oh, that's just crumbs for chickens.


 
Carla Selyer
Carla Selyer  Identity Verified
Local time: 21:27
Member (2006)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Thinking of chickens...Chicken Little said: "Runt, just do it. It'll work. We'll survive!" Nov 15

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Kevin Fulton wrote:

Every time I got paid, I said to myself "Fooled them again!"


Hey, man, don't you get feeling that someone is looking at these posts and saying: Oh, that's just crumbs for chickens.



When I started out, I lacked confidence and would have a mental process of going through the different phases of self-doubt: do I have the skills, ability and qualifications to do this? It helps to have people around you to uplift you and tell you you can do it and I thank my personal hero for always championing me.
Giving this feeling a name ('Imposter Syndrome') makes it sound so much worse somehow, this sounds like a crisis of self-doubt. When I was just starting out in my career, it was called a "lack of confidence". The fact is, I have done it, I can do it and I will do it again! I am not an imposter, I am a translator! "I translate!" Or as Chicken Little said: "Runt, just do it. It'll work. We'll survive!"


Rachel Waddington
Maria Laura Curzi
 
Gjorgji Apostolovski
Gjorgji Apostolovski  Identity Verified
North Macedonia
Local time: 20:27
English to Macedonian
+ ...
in the end it doesn't even matter Nov 15

Carla Selyer wrote:

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Kevin Fulton wrote:

Every time I got paid, I said to myself "Fooled them again!"


Hey, man, don't you get feeling that someone is looking at these posts and saying: Oh, that's just crumbs for chickens.



When I started out, I lacked confidence and would have a mental process of going through the different phases of self-doubt: do I have the skills, ability and qualifications to do this? It helps to have people around you to uplift you and tell you you can do it and I thank my personal hero for always championing me.
Giving this feeling a name ('Imposter Syndrome') makes it sound so much worse somehow, this sounds like a crisis of self-doubt. When I was just starting out in my career, it was called a "lack of confidence". The fact is, I have done it, I can do it and I will do it again! I am not an imposter, I am a translator! "I translate!" Or as Chicken Little said: "Runt, just do it. It'll work. We'll survive!"




And Chester said: In the end it doesn't even matter.

R.I.P. Chester

I understand this Imposter Syndrome very differently, not as self doubt but also as doubt in others. And this self doubt and doubt in others is the result of others actions in our environment. My first post in this topic explains them. So if most people are imposters, than one gets self doubt of his success thinking that the others will consider him as imposter. And also gets doubt in someone else success, because most people are imposters and this new successful one must be imposter. We all thinking this way sometimes, someone maybe more than the others, but this is the reality. Most of the people "success" in easy way. And the rest are doubting in themselves, because not everyone has the benefit of birth in high class family, rich country, etc...
We all must admit that these let's called cliches: the boss and the secretary, the doctor and the nurse, the principal and the teacher, the model and the photographer, the singer and the producer, the actors and directors... they are all real. Don't get me started about politics, business, police etc...
All I am saying in my posts here in this topic is that these doubts in others and in ourselves are justified, because those things that I described are happening for real.

Here is some funny example, this is scene from a movie, if you don't understand Serbian and if you are interested, find someone to translate you.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAcz3dPNMOu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


Carla Selyer
 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:27
Serbian to English
+ ...
That clip has nothing to do with any kind of "Imposter Syndrome" Nov 16

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Carla Selyer wrote:

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Kevin Fulton wrote:

Every time I got paid, I said to myself "Fooled them again!"


Hey, man, don't you get feeling that someone is looking at these posts and saying: Oh, that's just crumbs for chickens.



When I started out, I lacked confidence and would have a mental process of going through the different phases of self-doubt: do I have the skills, ability and qualifications to do this? It helps to have people around you to uplift you and tell you you can do it and I thank my personal hero for always championing me.
Giving this feeling a name ('Imposter Syndrome') makes it sound so much worse somehow, this sounds like a crisis of self-doubt. When I was just starting out in my career, it was called a "lack of confidence". The fact is, I have done it, I can do it and I will do it again! I am not an imposter, I am a translator! "I translate!" Or as Chicken Little said: "Runt, just do it. It'll work. We'll survive!"




And Chester said: In the end it doesn't even matter.

R.I.P. Chester

I understand this Imposter Syndrome very differently, not as self doubt but also as doubt in others. And this self doubt and doubt in others is the result of others actions in our environment. My first post in this topic explains them. So if most people are imposters, than one gets self doubt of his success thinking that the others will consider him as imposter. And also gets doubt in someone else success, because most people are imposters and this new successful one must be imposter. We all thinking this way sometimes, someone maybe more than the others, but this is the reality. Most of the people "success" in easy way. And the rest are doubting in themselves, because not everyone has the benefit of birth in high class family, rich country, etc...
We all must admit that these let's called cliches: the boss and the secretary, the doctor and the nurse, the principal and the teacher, the model and the photographer, the singer and the producer, the actors and directors... they are all real. Don't get me started about politics, business, police etc...
All I am saying in my posts here in this topic is that these doubts in others and in ourselves are justified, because those things that I described are happening for real.

Here is some funny example, this is scene from a movie, if you don't understand Serbian and if you are interested, find someone to translate you.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAcz3dPNMOu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


That clip has nothing to do with any kind of "Imposter Syndrome". It's about how easily some people can be corrupted, and then on top of that couldn't even be bothered to try to hide it / about parents buying good grades for their dummy children. It's off-off-off... topic.

Also, something that **does matter**: you can not reinvent your "personal reinterpretation" of what specialised terms mean. That's not how language works. Your Humpty Dumpty approach (i.e. 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.') is perfect for "dialogue de sourds" but not for effective communication. What you keep talking about are certainly very real problems, but none of it has anything to do with the "Imposter Syndrome", not even tangentially, indirectly, partially ... not in any way.

As far as I can remember, that's already the second poll question about the imposter syndrome. Someone of the site staff particularly interested in this topic?


mariant
 
Carla Selyer
Carla Selyer  Identity Verified
Local time: 21:27
Member (2006)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Am now doubting my own doubt Nov 17

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Carla Selyer wrote:

Gjorgji Apostolovski wrote:

Kevin Fulton wrote:

Every time I got paid, I said to myself "Fooled them again!"


Hey, man, don't you get feeling that someone is looking at these posts and saying: Oh, that's just crumbs for chickens.



When I started out, I lacked confidence and would have a mental process of going through the different phases of self-doubt: do I have the skills, ability and qualifications to do this? It helps to have people around you to uplift you and tell you you can do it and I thank my personal hero for always championing me.
Giving this feeling a name ('Imposter Syndrome') makes it sound so much worse somehow, this sounds like a crisis of self-doubt. When I was just starting out in my career, it was called a "lack of confidence". The fact is, I have done it, I can do it and I will do it again! I am not an imposter, I am a translator! "I translate!" Or as Chicken Little said: "Runt, just do it. It'll work. We'll survive!"




And Chester said: In the end it doesn't even matter.

R.I.P. Chester

I understand this Imposter Syndrome very differently, not as self doubt but also as doubt in others. And this self doubt and doubt in others is the result of others actions in our environment. My first post in this topic explains them. So if most people are imposters, than one gets self doubt of his success thinking that the others will consider him as imposter. And also gets doubt in someone else success, because most people are imposters and this new successful one must be imposter. We all thinking this way sometimes, someone maybe more than the others, but this is the reality. Most of the people "success" in easy way. And the rest are doubting in themselves, because not everyone has the benefit of birth in high class family, rich country, etc...
We all must admit that these let's called cliches: the boss and the secretary, the doctor and the nurse, the principal and the teacher, the model and the photographer, the singer and the producer, the actors and directors... they are all real. Don't get me started about politics, business, police etc...
All I am saying in my posts here in this topic is that these doubts in others and in ourselves are justified, because those things that I described are happening for real.

Here is some funny example, this is scene from a movie, if you don't understand Serbian and if you are interested, find someone to translate you.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAcz3dPNMOu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


I love this and I have undoubtedly been launched into a whole new world of doubt!


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jared Tabor[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Poll: Have you ever heard about "Imposter Syndrome"?






Pastey
Your smart companion app

Pastey is an innovative desktop application that bridges the gap between human expertise and artificial intelligence. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts, Pastey transforms your source text into AI-powered draft translations.

Find out more »
TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »