Just to give anecdotal evidence against your assertion. I'm French and I suffer from imposter syndrome.

I think i really depends on circumstances. I work from home as a freelancer which means that rather than interacting with a lot of coworkers, I mostly read things professionally from people at the top of their game. This skews the perception I have in term of skills and means that I sometimes feel like an imposter.

I didn't have that problem when I was working in a company.

Can I ask you where you've read/heard about the imposter syndrome first?

Also, I don't pretend we don't suffer the same symptoms, just that without a name to put on it, it's more bearable.

Personally, I have a very hard time with compliments (I had to learn to say thank you to compliments, which make me think "bullshit" naturally). So I tend to believe I'm average, even when someone insists I'm not. That's not unlike imposter syndrome. Plus I do understand what you mean about reading stuff from/about brilliant people.

But an imposter or a fraud? Nope... I just think I don't have enough self-comfidence or self-esteem, because "being a fraud" and "self imposter syndrome" meant nothing to me not long ago, plus these terms seem absurdly guilt-inducing to me. Living without this guilt definitely helps make progress in anything.

Actually I found that naming it was a relieve for me. "Oh, some I'm not alone feeling that". The first time I read about it was actually not using the label "imposter syndrom" but in a book where the character describe himself as a child in an adult body walking among people wearing adult masks, and everybody knew, but nobody said anything to preserve everyone egos.

I don't think it's related to your value, as much as the deep sense of the consequences of your action, and the fact that your lack of knowledge in a complex causal word can result in terrible suffering.

The way I manage to get over it was to realized everybody was like me, and If I accepted others could screw up on a catastrophic scale, then I could indulge me doing it.

I think it is because of our weakening culture. Children used to get their identity from their family and community, which trained you in a path you could follow into adulthood. Now, at least in American culture, there are way too many options to provide adequate preparation for all of them, and even the best parents and schools have limited understanding of the world into which they are sending their children. Young adults are much more on their own than ever before, and I expect it is worse in America, the so-called land of opportunity.

It's true that culture can give you a sense of legitimity that will wear off the feeling of being an imposter. But cultures always have an agenda, and they give a positive feedback only if you follow it. Unfortunaly i have yet to met a culture whose agenda is to raise happy people. So you are still an imposter, you just don't know it, and worst, you feel entitled because you respect your cultures values. And well, let's just say than on all important topic such as sex, personnal growth, feeling, suffering, happiness, etc. I never witness a culture that I could label sane. Not necessarly evil, but not a power of good either.

Your note about it's an american/english thing is quite interesting. I live not far from you and I shall say that I relate to your opinion quite well. The important thing is to know one's own personal worth and learn to feel comfortable with it...

Well I read about the imposter syndrome on HN, and when talking about this idea to people around me, nobody knew it was a thing... (btw I don't live in France anymore, I felt politicians there suffered a severe lack of imposter syndrome)