Imposter Syndrome and Other Curiosities

In this episode, we sit down and have a chat about random topics on our mind. We touch on kids (as usual), and then we talk about our experiences of imposter syndrome and a few other bits.

Here are some of the highlights from our discussion:

Imposter syndrome arises when we find ourselves in a position which we feel we don't deserve. These feelings of imposter syndrome tend to result from looking inward and, through the spotlight effect, we feel as if everyone is judging our performance. But, in reality, everyone is most probably worried about what they are doing rather than concerned about you.

“You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realised how seldom they do” Eleanor Roosevelt

One way to get rid of the sense of self in these situations is to think of yourself as the steward rather than an expert. Being a steward suggests that you are guiding people rather than positioning yourself as being 'above' others. This idea of a steward thus helps you to detach the sense of self from the element that is creating this unease.

Seeing oneself as a steward is a helpful frame in a range of contexts that we might not expect. For instance, it can even help when hosting dinner parties – you are not there to perform or directly entertain everyone. Your hosting duties are more aligned with being a steward and indirectly entertaining by bringing people together.

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Not Overthinking is a podcast about happiness, creativity, and the human condition. We talk about things to help us think, do, and be better. Things like social interaction, lifestyle design, mental models...things that are hard to examine, but important to explore. And hopefully, things that make for a fun and interesting chat every week.

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Ali is a junior doctor and YouTuber working in Cambridge, UK. He makes videos about medicine, technology, productivity and lifestyle design. His links: YouTube, Blog, Newsletter, InstagramTaimur is a data scientist and writer, working on his own startup Causal. He writes on his blog and as a columnist for Medium. His links: Blog, Twitter, Medium, Instagram