Imposter Syndrome: The Seeds are Planted in School

Welcome to our series on Imposter Syndrome where we work to help you understand, deconstruct, and overcome imposter syndrome throughout all aspects in your life. For more, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Imposter syndrome, that pervasive feeling of inadequacy despite evident success, finds its roots in the very foundations of our education system. As we embark on our journey through school, we encounter numerous aspects of the academic environment that unwittingly sow the seeds of doubt and comparison. 

From the grading system that fosters a culture of comparison and achievement-centric values to the dynamics of classroom participation that favor quick responses over thoughtful reflection, and even to the limited recognition of diverse forms of intelligence beyond the traditional academic realms - our schooling experience sets the stage for imposter syndrome to take root and flourish in our adult lives. 

But all is not lost!  Let’s dive deeper into some of these facets that shape our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us to better understand how they have influenced our sense of self worth and accomplishment.

‍Grades

One of the most obvious and pernicious norms established in our schools across the globe relates to grading.  

Without going any further, most of us probably already intuitively feel that grading has some ill effects.  Why is that?  Because even thinking about “grades” inevitably surfaces personal memories from when grades had a profound impact on our mood, emotions and confidence from growing up.  

However, it is really important to understand why grading in the traditional sense can undermine our confidence and warp our values long-term.

First, grades in a classroom environment lead to comparison, which children are not particularly good at handling or processing productively (because we don’t teach them how).  All throughout schooling, we use grades as a way to compare ourselves to each other.  And while social comparison is probably inevitable to some extent amongst human beings, our grading systems - along with the public praise and recognition that accompany them - promote a better than/worse than mindset. 

By associating higher grades with worthiness and lower grades with inadequacy, the system perpetuates a cycle of self-doubt and external validation. 

Now I am certainly not someone who believes in a “everyone gets a participation trophy” mentality.  Competition can be an excellent way to motivate ourselves and others to greater heights.  But the trouble with grades as they currently stand goes deeper than children not getting “praise.”  

Grades also shape our values.  In society today, we value “achievement” or the end result of our hard work.  Grades are one common form of achievement.  Unfortunately, when we internalize as children that achievement is what should be valued, then we set ourselves up for a lifetime of striving without fulfillment (Russ Harris dives into this extensively in The Happiness Trap).  As we get older, we replace “grades” with other things like degrees, job titles, and money - but because we are no longer surrounded by people to praise us, those things feel hollow over time.

Moreover, because grades are associated with end result achievements, they lose their power as indicators of individual progress and growth.  Let’s look at an example:

Say a 7th grade student scores a 60% on a recent math test.  In almost every school in the country, this student would receive an “F” or failing grade since they were only able to get 6 out of every 10 questions right and we as a society require a higher level of mastery (it would seem).  For most, this “failing” grade would torpedo your confidence and likely lead to similar underachievement in the months ahead.

However, if we change how we frame what grades represent, we can instantly see the power that they could have on our psyche and that of our children today.

For this 7th grader, if we took a growth perspective that emphasizes hard work and the ability to get better, we could present their 60% as them having “mastered 60% of the content thus far.”  Now we just have to keep working at the remaining 40%.  By fixating on deeming someone as successful or a failure, we completely undermine the value of the work that is put in.

Over time, children who experience this grow up to be…us - professionals constantly looking for quick wins and other end result achievements that we can post in our new adult classroom (social media/LinkedIn) for external validation.  However, if you are reading this, then you probably have realized how unfulfilling the chase for “achievement” always eventually becomes.  

The work, the growth it leads to, and the people we do it with day in and day out are ultimately what matters much more in order to be successful.

‍The Need for Speed: Classroom Dynamics

Another aspect of formal education that lays the groundwork for feelings of imposter syndrome later on is how participation is facilitated in most classroom settings.  Whether you are in 1st grade or in a college seminar, the teacher or professor almost always poses questions to the group.

‍“Raise your hand if you can tell me…”

This form of participation is important for driving engagement and checking for understanding amongst a group of students.  However, the way we do it is what needs to be reconsidered.

Typically, a teacher poses a question and then a few hands immediately shoot up in the air to respond.  At this point, teachers should make sure to wait 3-5 seconds before accepting any responses as this has been shown to greatly increase participation across the classroom (as we laid out in detail in our article here on facilitating discussions!).

Unfortunately, most teachers forget about this “wait time” and call on one of the first few participants in order to keep things moving.  As a result, the students who supposedly can “think faster” tend to get called on much more.  

Simultaneously, the other students miss an opportunity to really consider the question itself and end up thinking that they are “slower” than the students who raise their hands quickest.

Like most other things in our culture, we end up rewarding speed over substance - I don’t think anyone has ever shown that the students who raise their hands first are measurably smarter than anyone else! 

In the adult world, there are very few things that require an immediate response in that way.  Most personal and professional situations require a great deal of reflection and deliberation if you want to avoid making purely emotional decisions.  But this simple circumstance in formal education reinforces the opposite behavior, rewarding quickness over quality.

As a result, the majority of students in a classroom who are not as “quick” tend to develop their own negative self-appraisals to explain this which grows into ingrained beliefs about ourselves as less than over time.

‍Which “Intelligence” Is Valuable

One last example of how the formal education system can sow the seeds of imposter syndrome early on is related to the form and format of the content we cover in school.

Due to the education system’s roots in industrialization, the vast majority of content covered in school is presented verbally and using mostly text and numbers.  Therefore, if you do not develop strengths in reading, writing and math, then it becomes very difficult to be successful (and develop the requisite confidence in yourself to succeed).  

Now it should be said that reading, writing and math are all critical skills.  They are the cornerstones of how humanity communicates.  However, it is also true that many additional forms of communication and intelligence exist.  Whether you are interpreting body language in a negotiation, performing feats of physical strength or musical expression, or recording bite-sized videos on TikTok, there are many different ways people can develop skills and create value.

In education, these various forms of intelligences were codified by Dr. Howard Gardner in his popular multiple intelligences framework.  And while there are many who take issue with using multiple intelligences as an academic system, there is no doubt in its value as a framework for helping us think through the various skills a person might have or develop.

However, our current education system largely excludes opportunities to demonstrate, develop, or recognize these other intelligences, leaving many students wondering if they are good at anything at all.  

So we have a majority of students who are not quick enough to participate in activities that are only open to certain skill sets and who end up receiving poor grades as a result, further solidifying their belief that they are “other” and not good enough.

When we grow up, we call this “imposter syndrome.”

‍What You Can Do

Overcoming the ingrained effects of our educational experiences requires a deliberate and proactive approach. Firstly, it's crucial to reframe our perception of success away from purely outcome-based measures like grades or titles and towards a focus on growth, effort, and the intrinsic value of the journey. 

Embracing a growth mindset, as popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck, encourages us to see setbacks and challenges as opportunities for learning and development rather than indictments of our abilities. 

If you establish your own ambitious goals for yourself and your life, you will slowly begin to realize that the perceptions of others doesn’t matter - and they aren’t thinking about you anyways!

Additionally, fostering a sense of self-compassion can counteract the harsh self-judgment ingrained by years of comparison and criticism. One easy way to do this is to imagine you were giving advice to a friend in the same situation.  Undoubtedly, you would be more kind and affirming than you are to yourself.

We all are unique because we grow up and experience completely unique life situations.  The sooner you can identify what makes you unique and start viewing those things as potential strengths, the sooner you will get closer to the level of self-acceptance we all yearn for.

‍Conclusion

To sum up, schooling does a number on us.  It teaches us basic intellectual and interpersonal skills, which are essential for anyone to operate in our society.  But it also saddles our psyche with plenty of baggage to unpack when we exit the school pipeline and enter the world as individuals separated from the group.

However, armed with awareness and understanding, we can begin to unravel these deeply ingrained patterns and reclaim agency over our narratives.  And once you realize the power that narratives hold in our minds, then that power comes to you - and you can wield it to empower yourself day in and day out.

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