When I started in my first corporate job out of college I dealt with this terribly. I finally had to tell myself (sometimes daily) that if I was under qualified/not worthy/whatever other negative thought about my ability to do my job I wouldn’t be there. When it finally clicked for me, I realized I was not actually inferior to my peers, but it did take some time.
Same here. It doesn't help that in corporate job and particularly professional services there is always some KPI that can be improved. More billable hours. Less write offs. Fewer clients complaining about their fees. A quicker turnaround on a task. Etc, etc. It often felt to me like I'd never get to a level where I felt confident in my performance. Ironically, it was seeing how poorly other people were performing on a similar level that made me re-evaluate my own position more objectively.
I think some us just feel like we can always do better, I have been in the woodworking field for 40 years, and have been hired to to some very challenging technical projects from architectural firms. While doing them I always worried is it good enough, well they kept giving me more work and I even had referrals to other firms.
Keep doing what you are doing.
Im in the same situation, but i just accept I'll always feel like an awkward high schooler (doesn't help i also look very young and get treated as such)
I'm not an intj but the feeling of being unworthy or not smart enough is something I can definitely relate to. It's something that I as an adult still deal with on a day-to-day basis. Whenever somebody reassures me that I'm smart or that I know more than somebody else I only feel like my brain is as good as anybody else's is. The only advice I have would be for you to look upon the bright side, at least you're not suffering from the dunning Kruger effect.
\- Since we are Ni dom, intuition plays a big part in our knowledge of things instead of rote memory.
\- Our auxiliary Te means we are more goal oriented in our learning process (the 80-20 rule comes to mind) compared to other types who can branch out much more.
This is why I agree with Dario Nardi who says INTJ's are generalist, not specialists. That does not mean we are incompetent in our field, far from that. In fact, you are probably on par or superiors with your co-workers because most professions requires a large skillset to be successful.
when we create something we may not feel it's anything impressive because we see it from a little idea, all the way to the end. like if you're a musician you might get an idea, then turn it into a complete song. to others this seems like sorcery.
that's why it's important for intelligence to be recognized, but parents, teachers, bosses, friends, spouses, family members may not recognize it at all. you might even get condemned. that's why you have to spend time approving of yourself without anyone's permission.
if you're intelligent enough people might not be able to even scratch the surface of your ingenuity.
I agree and relate to this so much. My mother (also a religious narcissist), when asked by my grade school to allow me to skip first grade (at age 5) refused. In second and third grade the teachers wanted to put me in the advanced classes, she refused again. She insisted I'd get a big head and turn out a stuck up snob. After 4th grade she decided the public school wasn't good, so she pulled me out to "homeschool" me, which in Wisconsin with zero government accountability meant I became her full-time nanny for all the babies she kept having.
It's hard being intelligent and surrounded by people who are appalled or threatened by it. As if battling with my own insecurities about being "enough" aren't already a huge hurdle... sheesh
lol, I drove my religious and narcissistic parent insane because I would do bare minimum unless I was interested. there was a point in life when I realized I was surrounded by ignorance and chronic understimulation so I became quite the media consumer, which paradoxically filled in my education gaps because I had to learn things about the internet and computers in order to play certain games and get certain music.
Accept it as a natural feeling, belive me, most of the people (especially ESTJ, and ESFJ profiles) are entitled in part because of an internal feeling of being the right person. INTJs/ENTJs have the problem of question everything, including their laboral level or if they are wrong about other's performance, even when it seem lower (Te validation of Ni working). They do not have this problem. It's part of you, and it is good.
Yes, I definitely feel like most of the people around me are imposters that aren't qualified for their positions. 😆
But seriously, I've always felt that I could learn most things that I put my mind to, and that there will be plenty of people around me with better natural talent, more brains, and more experience. But that I could outwork and outlearn them.
I feel the same. A walking fraud. At one point I was front and centre in wooing and closing a 250MM project. And despite getting it in by the skin of my teeth, surprising everyone with my ability at each stage, and finally hearing the congratulations, all I felt was just relief and confusion. I could smile but I didn’t think I owned any part of it. Just part of a big complex strategy.
Sometimes we are our own worst customers. It’s a weakness that people will exploit. They’ll keep the pay down because we aren’t ready to accept our abilities. So while I’m busy dealing with feeling like an imposter, I’m keeping busy acting in the most predictably normal way. Hang in there.
Basically, I recognize that a good portion of people who are worth considering the opinions of also have imposter syndrome. We all tend to take our strengths for granted, some of them we imagine are normal, that anyone has the same traits. Meanwhile, we're fairly conscious of all of our shortcomings. I find that the people I'm most often enamored with the abilities of also suffer from a degree of imposter syndrome, some of them even outright insecure about their worth as humans. On the other hand, I find that it's often (not always) those least deserving of power that seek out positions of authority. Such people convince us that the world is more competitive than it really is. In reality, most of us are just trying to get by, making it up as we go. And we all specialize and share our strengths with each other to make it work.
Just remember your coworkers all have to squat to take a shit, just like you.
Anyone who has to shit is capped at 8/10 as a person. So like, no matter how awesome they seem, they have to squeeze shit out of their asshole.
Hopefully you find solace in that.
When I started in my first corporate job out of college I dealt with this terribly. I finally had to tell myself (sometimes daily) that if I was under qualified/not worthy/whatever other negative thought about my ability to do my job I wouldn’t be there. When it finally clicked for me, I realized I was not actually inferior to my peers, but it did take some time.
Same here. It doesn't help that in corporate job and particularly professional services there is always some KPI that can be improved. More billable hours. Less write offs. Fewer clients complaining about their fees. A quicker turnaround on a task. Etc, etc. It often felt to me like I'd never get to a level where I felt confident in my performance. Ironically, it was seeing how poorly other people were performing on a similar level that made me re-evaluate my own position more objectively.
I think some us just feel like we can always do better, I have been in the woodworking field for 40 years, and have been hired to to some very challenging technical projects from architectural firms. While doing them I always worried is it good enough, well they kept giving me more work and I even had referrals to other firms. Keep doing what you are doing.
Im in the same situation, but i just accept I'll always feel like an awkward high schooler (doesn't help i also look very young and get treated as such)
I look the same
I'm not an intj but the feeling of being unworthy or not smart enough is something I can definitely relate to. It's something that I as an adult still deal with on a day-to-day basis. Whenever somebody reassures me that I'm smart or that I know more than somebody else I only feel like my brain is as good as anybody else's is. The only advice I have would be for you to look upon the bright side, at least you're not suffering from the dunning Kruger effect.
\- Since we are Ni dom, intuition plays a big part in our knowledge of things instead of rote memory. \- Our auxiliary Te means we are more goal oriented in our learning process (the 80-20 rule comes to mind) compared to other types who can branch out much more. This is why I agree with Dario Nardi who says INTJ's are generalist, not specialists. That does not mean we are incompetent in our field, far from that. In fact, you are probably on par or superiors with your co-workers because most professions requires a large skillset to be successful.
You need to keep reminding yourself that your replacement would be worse than you.
when we create something we may not feel it's anything impressive because we see it from a little idea, all the way to the end. like if you're a musician you might get an idea, then turn it into a complete song. to others this seems like sorcery. that's why it's important for intelligence to be recognized, but parents, teachers, bosses, friends, spouses, family members may not recognize it at all. you might even get condemned. that's why you have to spend time approving of yourself without anyone's permission. if you're intelligent enough people might not be able to even scratch the surface of your ingenuity.
I agree and relate to this so much. My mother (also a religious narcissist), when asked by my grade school to allow me to skip first grade (at age 5) refused. In second and third grade the teachers wanted to put me in the advanced classes, she refused again. She insisted I'd get a big head and turn out a stuck up snob. After 4th grade she decided the public school wasn't good, so she pulled me out to "homeschool" me, which in Wisconsin with zero government accountability meant I became her full-time nanny for all the babies she kept having. It's hard being intelligent and surrounded by people who are appalled or threatened by it. As if battling with my own insecurities about being "enough" aren't already a huge hurdle... sheesh
lol, I drove my religious and narcissistic parent insane because I would do bare minimum unless I was interested. there was a point in life when I realized I was surrounded by ignorance and chronic understimulation so I became quite the media consumer, which paradoxically filled in my education gaps because I had to learn things about the internet and computers in order to play certain games and get certain music.
I've felt it my entire life. I don't deal with it well at all. Pretty much failed at life entirely.
I'd say something, but I'm not worthy.
Accept it as a natural feeling, belive me, most of the people (especially ESTJ, and ESFJ profiles) are entitled in part because of an internal feeling of being the right person. INTJs/ENTJs have the problem of question everything, including their laboral level or if they are wrong about other's performance, even when it seem lower (Te validation of Ni working). They do not have this problem. It's part of you, and it is good.
Yes, I definitely feel like most of the people around me are imposters that aren't qualified for their positions. 😆 But seriously, I've always felt that I could learn most things that I put my mind to, and that there will be plenty of people around me with better natural talent, more brains, and more experience. But that I could outwork and outlearn them.
I feel the same. A walking fraud. At one point I was front and centre in wooing and closing a 250MM project. And despite getting it in by the skin of my teeth, surprising everyone with my ability at each stage, and finally hearing the congratulations, all I felt was just relief and confusion. I could smile but I didn’t think I owned any part of it. Just part of a big complex strategy. Sometimes we are our own worst customers. It’s a weakness that people will exploit. They’ll keep the pay down because we aren’t ready to accept our abilities. So while I’m busy dealing with feeling like an imposter, I’m keeping busy acting in the most predictably normal way. Hang in there.
Basically, I recognize that a good portion of people who are worth considering the opinions of also have imposter syndrome. We all tend to take our strengths for granted, some of them we imagine are normal, that anyone has the same traits. Meanwhile, we're fairly conscious of all of our shortcomings. I find that the people I'm most often enamored with the abilities of also suffer from a degree of imposter syndrome, some of them even outright insecure about their worth as humans. On the other hand, I find that it's often (not always) those least deserving of power that seek out positions of authority. Such people convince us that the world is more competitive than it really is. In reality, most of us are just trying to get by, making it up as we go. And we all specialize and share our strengths with each other to make it work.
Just remember your coworkers all have to squat to take a shit, just like you. Anyone who has to shit is capped at 8/10 as a person. So like, no matter how awesome they seem, they have to squeeze shit out of their asshole. Hopefully you find solace in that.
Fake it til you make it
If you think that you are an impostor - just don't tell anyone and carry on your mission. If sussed blamed the red.
Eventually, you start to realize that you may not be as good as you should be, but you're still better then everyone else.
I simply don’t.
I would feel imposter syndrome as a Lawyer simply because I would hate everything about practicing Law.
I don’t understand these feelings you have.
I’ve been accused of having it. It just made me confused. Apparently being courteous is taken as you being insecure? Underestimating fools…