![We tell ourselves stories in order to [<i>not</i>] live.](/_ipx/_/shorts/2023-02-impostor-syndrome/impostor-syndrome.webp)
We tell ourselves stories in order to not live.
We tell ourselves stories in order to live.
We look for the sermon in the suicide, for the social or moral lesson in the murder of five. We interpret what we see, select the most workable of the multiple choices. We live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the "ideas" with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience.
It is often assumed that delusion is mostly in the direction of one affirming false positives to themselves, shaping their perceived lived experience to suit their expectations while the objective reality is less fancy.
However, research shows that institutional structures may also induce impostor syndrome, especially in members of marginalized communities. The stories we tell ourselves might reinforce defeatist beliefs that cripple our livelihood.
If you experience impostor syndrome, you're not alone. Look into understanding why you feel that way. There are many free resources on the internet that can help you walk through your experiences. I recommend BetterUp; they were a great help to me. Here's a great first step and a list of resources. Your problems will never go away until you deal with them.