How Beliefs are Created and How to Change Them

Carol Putnam, Ph.D.

Do you sometimes wonder if you are smart enough to develop and grow your business? Do you wonder if you should be an entrepreneur during your most challenging days? Do you struggle with confidence in your ability to scale your business? Have you sometimes wondered if your team (or investors)  will discover that you are, in reality, a fake? If you have struggled with these questions, you may be experiencing imposter syndrome.

The term imposter syndrome has been part of our lexicon for decades, yet how many people understand what it means? First, it is not a mental health disorder. However, it is more than a vague sense of “I’m not smart enough.” It is a deeply held belief that one is deficient on some level and fears being exposed or discovered. Feelings of self-doubt, perfectionist tendencies, and negative thoughts or ruminations are all descriptions of imposter syndrome.

The term was initially coined in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes. In their clinical work with women, they noticed a consistent theme. This issue wasn’t expressed as the initial problem or reason for coming to a therapist but was persistent across their population of clients. From this initial discovery, they researched and coined the term imposter phenomenon.

Imposter Syndrome is Pervasive

Since the publication of Clance and Imes’s initial study, extensive research has been conducted to understand who experiences the syndrome. High-achieving individuals (e.g., physicians, PhDs, veterinarians, scientists) report feeling like a fraud at some point in their education or careers. This self-doubt could be for a limited period (when they are trying something new) or a life-long experience.

In 2019, a group of researchers evaluated 62 studies of more than 14,000 participants and found that the rates of imposter syndrome ranged from 9% to 82%, depending on the screening tool used. In the same study, imposter syndrome was common among men and women across a broad age range. The continuum ranged from adolescents to late-stage professionals who reported feelings of being an imposter. However, there is some evidence that imposter syndrome thoughts reduce with age.

Kajabi, an “all-in-one business platform designed to help organizations build websites and landing pages…” conducted a study on imposter syndrome to understand how many business owners were experiencing the self-doubt inherent in the syndrome. Using an assessment tool developed by Dr. Clance, Kajabi surveyed 600 US small business owners (SBOs) or entrepreneurs.

According to the survey results, 84% of the entrepreneurs/SBOs indicated feeling like an imposter at moderate, frequent, or intense levels. Interestingly, the respondents ranged from novice business owners to experienced serial entrepreneurs.

It is natural to question oneself as an aspect of self-reflection. Assuming that career or business success results from luck rather than effort is unrealistic. Or to believe that one is not bright or intellectually capable when all external evidence is contrary (e.g., advanced degree, high-level position in an organization, successful business ownership).

Imposter syndrome is frequently associated with anxiety and depression, impairing job performance, job satisfaction, and burnout. Imagine how difficult it is to be productive when ruminating about whether (or when) you will be discovered as a fake.

The Beliefs Behind Imposter Syndrome

So, suppose the belief is “I’m not smart enough to have this business (or this job), and I’m terrified that I will be discovered,” with disastrous consequences (loss of face, potential ridicule, up to and including loss of my business). How does one combat this conviction? Luckily, there has been a lot of research in the past twenty years in the arenas of beliefs and neuroscience.

First, let’s take a look at how beliefs are created. Beliefs are assumptions about how the world works and our perceptions about the world around us. However, our perceptions may not be accurate. Most of our beliefs are developed outside of conscious awareness. We perceive something in our external or internal environment (e.g., a memory, an emotion, a thought) and associate this with existing information in the brain. (This happens outside of our awareness.)

From this association, we also connect with the context of the current environment surrounding the incoming information. Only then do we evaluate the potential belief; is it true or false? And if it is true, does it align with an existing opinion, or does it stand on its own?

As beliefs typically develop rapidly and without conscious awareness, how does one let go of a limiting belief like “I’m an imposter”? First, it is imperative to notice when you have negatively assessed your skills and abilities. Too often, we operate unconsciously on our assumptions.

How to Change Beliefs

The first step in changing a belief is mindfully noticing it without judgment. Pay attention to what triggers the view. What situations create a sense of feeling like an imposter? Again, the objective is to become consciously aware of what triggers these thoughts. As much as possible, stay detached; you are only observing, not judging.

Next, examine the context of when you experience thoughts of being an imposter. The best way to interfere with cognitive bias is to reorganize the associations stored in long-term memory. Get curious about your associations and begin to investigate them. One idea would be to learn more about imposter syndrome and its prevalence in the culture.

Another technique is writing a list of statements you remember hearing from others that trigger imposter thoughts. For each assertion, create a different meaning that is more neutral or supportive. For example, perhaps a teacher said, “You’re not a very good writer.” What might be another meaning behind that statement? Maybe the teacher was trying to encourage you to practice your writing rather than labeling you as insufficient.

A third process in shifting your beliefs is to manipulate your perceptions intentionally. Set up a practice of priming yourself for a new behavior. A prime could be as simple as a statement you create and say to yourself when entering a previously triggering environment. Make the priming statement realistic and supportive. For example, “I’ve been successful before and know my business and customers.” Focus on your best attributes, create your priming statement, and practice saying it regularly.

Here’s another trick to begin to shift your beliefs. When you determine an appropriate prime statement or behavior, make a ritual of using it. I used to struggle believing I was a good writer and would stare at a blank screen for hours. (I got those messages from multiple instructors over the years). Now, when I sit down to write, I put on classical music. I’ve primed myself to believe that writing comes easily when I listen to Mozart, Beethoven, etc. Creating this belief, adding music, and a short ritual have shifted my belief about my writing capabilities.

Create New Thoughts, Emotions or Visualizations

Another technique to disrupt mental thought patterns is to create a new association between a trigger and the existing belief. When you experience a self-defeating belief, pair it with an unusual and slightly random association. (You want to break the habitual response.) For example, if you think, “I’m not as smart as others.” Then, ask yourself a weird question like, “If I was an alien, what would I observe right now?” Or “I wonder if my dog ever worries about things like this.”

Perhaps you need to focus your conscious mind on more positive emotions. The brain automatically skews to the negative, so counteract that pattern. Create a portfolio of positive emotions, experiences, and memories. A pediatric neurosurgeon keeps a folder of pictures and letters from patients or parents. When he has a bad day or loses a patient, he reviews his folder to remind him of the positive experiences in his life.

Practice suspending belief. Your unconscious mind created the belief that you are an imposter; what would happen if you suspended that belief? For example, what if when those types of thoughts enter your mind, you say to yourself, “I’m not so sure about that. That belief may be untrue.” Again, you are moving from an unconscious belief and an unconscious response to a conscious recognition of the belief and then a deliberate suspension of the belief.

It sounds a bit strange, but when we suspend belief, we begin to shift the brain’s attention to that assumption in a new way. What if you said to yourself, “I’m 50% sure that I’m as smart as other entrepreneurs or other leaders”? When we begin to assign probabilities to beliefs, we shift the brain’s focus from a black/white orientation to one with more options. It is easier to change an opinion if we don’t hold it as an absolute.

Use the power of visualization to shift the rumination of imposter syndrome. Visualize yourself being successful. Most of the time, we worry about what can and will go wrong. Focus your conscious mind on what it looks like when you are successful. Create a picture in your mind of you being successful (e.g., hitting your growth goals, receiving an award) and revisit it daily.

You Are Not Alone

Imposter syndrome or imposter phenomenon is only a set of beliefs. The word syndrome may imply to some that this experience has been determined to be a diagnosis of mental illness. It is only a pattern of assumptions based on the brain’s observations and how it categorizes incidents.

If you experience thoughts of being an imposter or “less than” others, recognize that you are not alone. And realize that you can change your beliefs and become more mindful of your triggers, responses, and behavior. It takes practice, just like the development of any other skill. To shift your belief, get curious, practice mindfulness, challenge your thoughts, and remember that they are only thoughts.

• Dena M Bravata, MD, Sharon A Watts, MA, Autumn L. Keefer, Ph.D., Divya K. Madhusudhann, MPH, Katie T. Taylor, Ph.D., Dani M. Clark, BA, Ross S. Nelson, PsyD, Kevin O. Cokley, PhD, and Heather K. Hagg, PhD: Prevalence, Predictors and Treatment of Imposter Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, December 2019.