You're not alone. I don't think there is any "solution" that can prevent such thoughts. Instead, I prefer to look at them as a motivator to work harder and lear

You're not alone. I don't think there is any "solution" that can prevent such thoughts. Instead, I prefer to look at them as a motivator to work harder and learn more. This Venn diagram [1] always helps me adjust my perspective. A useful approach to find those intersections and unions of what you know, what you think others know and what others actually know is to give talks at meet-ups on any topic you feel comfortable with - you'll quickly realize how much unique knowledge you have. [1]: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCfUQh_UsAAXNKv.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCfUQh_UsAAXNKv.jpg