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And yet all of us have worked with someone who really is out of their league and can't do the work adequately, and those people are often the most arrogant and

by User23 8y ago

And yet all of us have worked with someone who really is out of their league and can't do the work adequately, and those people are often the most arrogant and confident. Some get promoted to management. There's more going on here, but the behavior can largely be predicted based on the individual's place in the social hierarchy. People that suffer from imposter syndrome inevitably have other characteristic traits and behaviors of low social status. The most striking example is the sitting US President. If anyone should suffer from imposter syndrome, believing he isn't qualified, it's him. And yet there is absolutely no evidence that he does, quite the opposite in fact. If I had to guess I'd say he thinks he's one of the greatest presidents of all time.

jboy55 8y ago
That there are those who can BS their way to success doesn't mean there are others who underestimate their abilities and hide. There aren't even just these 2 categories, if you look at those who BS, there are those who are aware of their inadequacies and those who aren't. If you subdivide those who are aware of their inadequacies, there are those who just don't care and those who use the BS as a screen so they won't get found out. Which brings us back to the start. Understanding the motivations of an individual and understanding your own motivations, can help you manage developers and help you self-improve. As a manager, understanding impostor syndrome has allowed me to encourage developers who are hiding before their hiding causes them to not report a production issue they're afraid they'll get fired for. Its also helped me understand when individuals need extra encouragement, so that they try to reach out to others for help. So just because there are counter examples, doesn't mean its not worth understanding.
- User23 8y ago
  I absolutely agree, I just presented two poles, I figured it was obvious it's a continuum and that there are other dimensions as well. Most programmers have relatively low social status, and exhibit the thought processes and behaviors thereof. You may not think of it in those terms, and that doesn't matter, as long as you pragmatically understand these typical behavior and thought patterns, which it sounds like you do. For what it's worth, the fear of ostracism you describe interfering with reporting issues is a characteristic low status fear. High social status individuals don't fear ostracism, they do the ostracizing.

by User23 8y ago

jboy55 8y ago

That there are those who can BS their way to success doesn't mean there are others who underestimate their abilities and hide. There aren't even just these 2 categories, if you look at those who BS, there are those who are aware of their inadequacies and those who aren't. If you subdivide those who are aware of their inadequacies, there are those who just don't care and those who use the BS as a screen so they won't get found out. Which brings us back to the start. Understanding the motivations of an individual and understanding your own motivations, can help you manage developers and help you self-improve. As a manager, understanding impostor syndrome has allowed me to encourage developers who are hiding before their hiding causes them to not report a production issue they're afraid they'll get fired for. Its also helped me understand when individuals need extra encouragement, so that they try to reach out to others for help. So just because there are counter examples, doesn't mean its not worth understanding.

User23 8y ago
I absolutely agree, I just presented two poles, I figured it was obvious it's a continuum and that there are other dimensions as well. Most programmers have relatively low social status, and exhibit the thought processes and behaviors thereof. You may not think of it in those terms, and that doesn't matter, as long as you pragmatically understand these typical behavior and thought patterns, which it sounds like you do. For what it's worth, the fear of ostracism you describe interfering with reporting issues is a characteristic low status fear. High social status individuals don't fear ostracism, they do the ostracizing.