Over the last 9 months, finding a new job has been at the forefront of my mind. I started looking for a new job in January 2025 and I can confirm; the whole job search process is as bad as they say it is.
I’ve been wondering lately if greater self-awareness can unintentionally crack open the door to imposter syndrome. “Know thyself” sounds like timeless wisdom, yet the more we know, the more we realise how much we don’t know. That tension can leave us feeling exposed, uncertain, and like an imposter. Through conversations with Adrian Ashton, Aoife O’Brien, Melanie Wilkey and others, I’ve been exploring this delicate balance between self-awareness and self-doubt.
I’ve been wondering for a while now whether an increase in self-awareness opens the door to imposter syndrome. After all, the age-old advice to “know thyself” sounds like the key to wisdom, but it comes with a catch. As Socrates famously put it, the more we know, the more we realise how little we know. And that, I can’t help but think, might just be the root of imposter syndrome….. The uncomfortable sense that the better we understand ourselves, the more exposed our gaps and shortcomings seem to be.