Three quarters of women would be more inclined to lack self-confidence, to doubt their skills and their qualities in the world of work, according to a recent English survey.
- 53% of women reported suffering from impostor syndrome. On the other hand, 63% of men admit never to have been affected.
- In women, symptoms usually occur by age 23.
- For 24% of them, the fact of permanently doubting them has a negative impact on their romantic relationships.
These people question themselves all the time, constantly doubt the legitimacy of their successes, think they are fooling everyone and are afraid that the truth will one day come out. This is how adults with impostor syndrome feel. According to a recent survey conducted by OnePoll and relayed by Studyfinds, women are more likely to suffer from it than men. In detail, 53% of women said they experienced this feeling of doubt, lack of self-confidence and have already felt incompetent and underqualified, even if they had the necessary skills to do the job. In comparison, the majority of men (63%) admit to never having felt like an impostor.
Imposter syndrome: symptoms would appear from the age of 23
In this survey, carried out among 4,000 Britons, it appeared that the symptoms of imposter syndrome generally begin at the age of 23 in women. 72% of women surveyed indicate that they are more likely to suffer from this syndrome in the world of work, while 29% feel like an impostor in the course of their studies and when they go out with friends. For 24% of women, constantly doubting themselves has a negative impact on their romantic relationships. For 22%, this syndrome complicates friendly encounters and, for 18%, it disrupts their role as mother.
“Imposter Syndrome can be crippling and affect many aspects of daily life. It can consume you on social media, it can take over when you’re away from home, for the first time, at college. , it can also have an impact when you make friends”said AJ Odudu, a television presenter who has partnered with Galaxy Confectionery, which commissioned the poll.
Perfectionism and the need to compare yourself to others
The study also reveals that while 63% of adults believe a lack of confidence contributed to these feelings in the first place, 44% believe that constantly comparing oneself to others is a root cause. In addition, three out of ten people think that being a “perfectionist” influences the occurrence of impostor syndrome. Overall, 65% of men and women surveyed believe that this syndrome is increasingly common among young people due to the societal pressures they face on social media.
“Our ambition is to empower young women,” explains Victoria Gell, spokesperson for Galaxy. “Young women face many challenges to get ahead in life and earn what they should. They are more likely to work in lower paying jobs and get stuck there. At a time in life when women should grow and learn, they are too often trapped”, adds Claire Reindorp, chief executive of Young Women’s Trust, an English feminist organisation.
