“How The Rhetoric of Imposter Syndrome Is Used to Gaslight Women in Tech”
“Imposter syndrome is when you can’t internalize your own accomplishments, despite being high achieving. It is cited as one of the biggest problems facing women in tech, the biggest obstacle to their success.
I believed in the rhetoric. I thought the process of self-acceptance would mean professional acceptance by my peers. I thought I would stop experiencing negative actions in tech once I could just believe in my worth, and show it to others. I thought that if I worked hard enough and completed enough projects, I would eventually reach a point where I didn’t feel like a fraud. And to cope with the racist and sexist comments along the way, I just focused on reaching that point of power, when my accomplishments would shine brightly.
But I’d fallen into a trap…
I thought it was my job to fix my “imposter syndrome,” but my environment was what triggered that state of mind: Constant, blatantly paternal and dismissive responses to my technical suggestions. Stress from microaggressions… With the cloud of imposter syndrome hovering over me, I convinced myself that I did not work hard enough to deserve a moment to relax. Instead of putting the laptop down, I was focused on learning everything I could in my free time. I began to suffer from more frequent anxiety attacks, weight gain, and an overall clouded state of mind.”
Thissss → “It’s virtually no one simply believing me the way they do my non-Black or non-woman counterparts.”
