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It's terence tao trying to help others with imposter syndrome. It seems quite unlikely he himself would suffer from it...

NooneAtAll3 2y ago
on the contrary, that's exactly what he states in comment discussion below the thread having higher reputation means higher responsibility not to crush someone with it in the sub-fields you aren't as proficient as
- danielmarkbruce 2y ago
  yeah... he's telling a white lie of sorts...reread the comment. That doesn't sound like someone lacking self confidence. "the other members collectively ...". He's basically saying "get the world leading experts in some area of math that I'm sort of interested in in a room and between them they'll know more than I do myself". Lol. And, that's happened "several times". I'm sure he's a genuinely nice, friendly person trying to do the right thing. But he is also likely confident as hell and never felt like an imposter anywhere.
  - jraph 2y ago
    I don't think it's a white lie. Whether he has imposter syndrome is beside the point. It shows he has sympathy for his colleagues who might have it. Maybe he himself had it before which would let him understand even better what it is, and now he doesn't anymore, this would motivate him to make this point. The point he is making is all the motr convincing especially that he is seen as very good, whether he had imposter syndrome or not.
    - danielmarkbruce 2y ago
      Yes, that's the point.
      - jraph 2y ago
        Yes, I think we mostly agree, except for the "white lie of sorts" and the "never felt like an imposter anywhere" parts which could be true but I'm not sure about (because I met bright people with imposter syndrome); but that was not your main point anyway, you were initially answering to 2-3-7-43-1807, who apparently didn't understand my initial comment (in which I never state anything about Terence Tao's imposter syndrome, who, no, I didn't know about, but that doesn't change anything about what I wrote).

NooneAtAll3 2y ago

on the contrary, that's exactly what he states in comment discussion below the thread having higher reputation means higher responsibility not to crush someone with it in the sub-fields you aren't as proficient as

danielmarkbruce 2y ago
yeah... he's telling a white lie of sorts...reread the comment. That doesn't sound like someone lacking self confidence. "the other members collectively ...". He's basically saying "get the world leading experts in some area of math that I'm sort of interested in in a room and between them they'll know more than I do myself". Lol. And, that's happened "several times". I'm sure he's a genuinely nice, friendly person trying to do the right thing. But he is also likely confident as hell and never felt like an imposter anywhere.
- jraph 2y ago
  I don't think it's a white lie. Whether he has imposter syndrome is beside the point. It shows he has sympathy for his colleagues who might have it. Maybe he himself had it before which would let him understand even better what it is, and now he doesn't anymore, this would motivate him to make this point. The point he is making is all the motr convincing especially that he is seen as very good, whether he had imposter syndrome or not.
  - danielmarkbruce 2y ago
    Yes, that's the point.
    - jraph 2y ago
      Yes, I think we mostly agree, except for the "white lie of sorts" and the "never felt like an imposter anywhere" parts which could be true but I'm not sure about (because I met bright people with imposter syndrome); but that was not your main point anyway, you were initially answering to 2-3-7-43-1807, who apparently didn't understand my initial comment (in which I never state anything about Terence Tao's imposter syndrome, who, no, I didn't know about, but that doesn't change anything about what I wrote).