What Is the Impostor Syndrome?

Definition: The impostor syndrome is feeling that one hasn't earned his or her achievements - that the achievements are the result of luck. It is very common among high achieving persons, particularly women, who worry that some day they will be "found out" - that others will discover that they really do not know what they are doing. A professor who experiences the impostor syndrome may feel that he or she is faking it and worry that others know that they are really a phony and that their achievements are simply a matter of luck, not ability.