How the Insecurity of Imposter Syndrome Makes Incredibly Successful People Feel Inferior to Others

In a Ted-Ed lesson written by educator Elizabeth Cox and animated by Gerta Xhelo, narrator Christina Greer talks about “Imposter Syndrome”, a crippling sense self-doubt that plagued even the most successful of people, such as Maya Angelou and Albert Einstein.

Previously we wrote about the intense feeling of isolation when one succumbs to imposter syndrome. This part of the syndrome is known as pluralistic ignorance, another form of self-doubt that contributes to loneliness from being afraid to speak out when others have seemingly accepted a general conclusion.

Everyone is susceptible to a phenomenon known as pluralistic ignorance, where we each doubt ourselves privately, but believe we’re alone in thinking that way because no one else voices their doubts. Since it’s tough to really know how hard our peers work, how difficult they find certain tasks, or how much they doubt themselves, there’s no easy way to dismiss feelings that we’re less capable than the people around us.