BabbleFish

Looking for translation software? You're in the wrong place. But. If you think you might be interested in the musings of a cranky forty-something learning to follow her dreams, live without fear, love herself, and look good doing it, well then, hell, come on down!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

I'm Not Who You Think I Am

I was reading a novel the other day, and on page 66 came across the following passage:
...what Vera lacked, it seemed, was the guts. Sometimes, had it not been a physical impossibility, she would have given herself a sharp swift kick in the pants. When she'd discussed this impulse with Simone, Simone, sagely refraining from delivering it herself, had referred Vera to a scholarly work on the "Imposter Syndrome." Which, Vera had said after a cursory glance, couldn't possibly apply to her, because she was an imposter.
(Jenefer Shute, User I.D. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.)
And I knew, even before I raced to the 'net to look it up, that I would be a textbook case. Imposter Syndrome is described as:

...a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist even in
face of information that indicates that the opposite is true. It is
experienced internally as chronic self-doubt, and feelings of
intellectual fraudulence.

Read entire article here.

I took an online quiz, and scored something like 93 out of a possible 100 points. Do I feel like an imposter? Hell, yeah. Finally, a name to put with the feelings. If I can name it I can tame it, right?

4 Comments:

Blogger Christine said...

Do I EVER know how that feels!!

I've only read a few posts, but I'm enjoying your blog...bookmarked to come back again :)

Wed Feb 08, 12:22:00 PM EST  
Blogger Barbara Simpson said...

Hey, thanks! How did you find me?

Wed Feb 08, 03:37:00 PM EST  
Blogger Christine said...

Just random clicking, fate I guess :)

Wed Feb 08, 04:12:00 PM EST  
Blogger Barbara Simpson said...

Well, thanks for reading!

Thu Feb 09, 01:58:00 PM EST  

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