How To Get Over Imposter Syndrome Without Revealing Your Fake Identity
“I’m a fraud. I’m a fake. I’m not fooling anyone.” Ever had thoughts like this? Because most people have. Heck, 70% of us feel like an imposter at some point in our lives, whether at work, in a relationship, or just trying to get through the day. Add in the fact that most of us are living under an assumed name and identity in a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of our enemies, knowing that our world could come crashing down at the drop of a dime, and these thoughts can feel insurmountable. Thankfully, there are ways to manage your imposter syndrome without letting it slip that your entire life is genuinely a monumental lie.
Admit You Feel Like a Fraud in the Vaguest Way Possible
Find a friend or coworker you trust and, as elusively as possible, hint that you feel like a fraud. Tell them that you’re unsure you deserved that promotion, but do not tell them where you were really born or what sports you played in high school. It’s seemingly trivial details like those that will come back to get you. So tell your truth, along with a whole heap of lies. Being honest is important, but you don’t want to have to kill your confidant for knowing too much.
Remind Yourself of Your Achievements—Faking Your Own Death Is Hard!
You may feel like an imposter when friends and colleagues praise you, but you’ve done a lot in your life to prove otherwise. Whether it’s being a top-notch employee or escaping the clutches of your controlling spouse, you’ve earned where you’re at. Stealing the identity of a deceased soldier to escape an endless war takes smarts. So when you’re feeling down, remember that purposefully falling off your husband’s yacht, swimming to shore, cutting and dying your hair, finding a dead woman’s social security number, and assuming her life in a tranquil coastal town—all the time knowing that he’s out there, looking for you—is nothing to sneeze at.
Reframe Your Narrative and Believe the Lies
Sure, every detail of the life you’re living is a lie, but who’s to say it’s not the real you? The best way to fight feeling undeserving is to just believe the bullshit you’re spewing. So the next time you tell your coworkers an elaborate story about being Harry Belafonte’s illegitimate son, go ahead and believe it along with them. You’ve gaslit everyone else. Give it a try on yourself.
Keep Running Forever
Of course, the best and most effective method of overcoming those feeling of fakery is to run away from them. The minute anyone gives you side eye or a look of confusion, walk out that door and never come back. Abandon friends and lovers, jobs and security. If you bolt at the slightest hint of suspicion, you’ll never have to worry about feeling like a fraud again. Well, until the next tranquil, coastal town you set up your new life in.
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