The Trap of Imposter Syndrome

I wrote an all-time best-selling book about human psychology. But I’m a former skater kid with ADHD who listens to Megadeth. So yeah, I’ve felt imposter syndrome.

When you feel like a fraud, you scramble to prove you belong. For me, that meant trying to sound smarter than I was when I wrote about serious topics.

The irony? None of that served my readers. It was just me trying to convince myself I deserved to be in the room—the leather jacket guy among professors in tweed. They had PhDs. I had a blog.

Then, one day, my editor told me:

“Half my job is to stop you from getting in your own way.”

That’s when I realized my lack of credentials wasn’t the problem—my lack of self-belief was.

Truth is, the things you’re naturally good at never feel special. Meanwhile, the stuff that is difficult for you but you got better at feels impressive and mysterious, even though you’re probably quite average at it.

It took me too long to realize: your gift will never feel like a gift to you. It feels too easy, too obvious—like a secret everyone should know but somehow doesn’t.

But that’s exactly why it’s your gift: it’s not anybody else’s.

See you Monday,
Mark Manson

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
My Website – My Books – My YouTube Channel – My Podcast – My Community