You probably are a fraud (not you specifically, just you reading this or not reading this). That’s why we feel that way, because deep down we don’t THINK we are frauds we KNOW we are frauds.

Now, why are we frauds? That’s the real question we should be figuring out. Why do we think this way?

It’s the nature of the beast. In this society success is predicated more on luck than any other factor or variable imaginable. Luck drives most business successes. Luck drives most individual successes. Deep down we’re very aware by it, and the imposter syndrome is kind of humbling if you will.

No one deserves to tell other humans what to do, no one deserves to gain more material things or faux power than their counterparts, and when we do it’s very easy to feel bad for doing so because we should. We all want to stand up to the system, but we’re benefiting from the system. If we can just convince ourselves we’re not frauds then we can move on and reap the rewards of our unearned privileges in life.

This is why so many actors, athletes, entertainers, etc. are extremely charitable and often very liberal — they know that their success and / or worth is contingent upon the general population, they know that as they acquire more material wealth that it inevitably means others are losing it, and they know that it’s wrong to make millions for the dumb shit they’re doing (even if I like it, and I do, we have to admit that it’s all pretty ridiculous and superfluous). But, if they can fight the good fight and do some good deeds they can sleep better at night.

Your success had more to do with luck than anything you actually did — when you admit that you can be free from those shackles. I’ve started preparing myself for turning down the next promotion in a way that I don’t lose everything — I am not worthy of being a “boss” to another human being just as I don’t think anyone should be my boss. We self-govern ourselves enough that we don’t need to have such a stringent and linear hierarchy in place. Yet, for some stupid ass reason that’s precisely what we have. I won’t fight it, but I will ensure that I don’t condone it by giving in to that illusion brought on by desire — desire for money, power, and status.