People Who Worry They Don’t Deserve Success Think 15 Things but Don’t Say Them

People Who Worry They Don’t Deserve Success Think 15 Things but Don’t Say Them

That gnawing feeling that you don’t deserve your success—also known as “imposter syndrome,” according to Psychology Today—has a way of camping out in your head, doesn’t it? Let’s unpack those thoughts that keep you up at night.

1. “I’m Not A Leader, Just A Good Actor.”

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Every time you run a meeting, you feel like a kid playing dress-up in your parent’s clothes. Behind your confident PowerPoint presentations and strategic planning, you’re sure everyone can see through your facade. Each successful team project makes you anxious because deep down you think you just got lucky with great team members who succeeded despite your guidance, not because of it. The weight of responsibility keeps getting heavier because you’re convinced you’re one decision away from everyone discovering you’re just really good at faking it.

2. “Someone Made a Huge Mistake.”

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Every success feels like a clerical error waiting to be discovered. You replay meetings in your head, convinced your boss meant to promote someone else. Each accomplishment comes with a side of anxiety as you wait for people to realize they picked the wrong person. When someone praises your work, your brain immediately starts cataloging all the reasons they’re mistaken. You’ve gotten really good at smiling and saying thank you while internally crafting contingency plans for when they figure out their error.

3. “Everyone Else Works Harder Than Me.”

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You’re convinced your colleagues are putting in 80-hour weeks while you’re somehow skating by. Every time you leave the office on time, guilt follows you (a common feeling for those dealing with imposter syndrome, according to Healthline). The voice in your head keeps a running tally of how everyone else seems to be drowning in work while you must be missing something important. When people comment on your efficiency, you feel like a fraud because surely working smarter can’t be as valuable as working longer. You’ve mastered the art of looking busy because admitting you found a better way feels like confessing to cheating. The thought of someone discovering you makes your stomach churn and, according to the APA, this becomes a vicious cycle. 

4. “I’m Not Smart Enough For This.”

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Despite the degrees on your wall and years of experience, you feel like you’re still faking your way through every meeting. You’ve convinced yourself everyone else actually understands all those industry acronyms and complex concepts, while you’re secretly Googling things under the table. When colleagues ask for your expert opinion, your heart races because surely they’ll finally realize you’re just really good at connecting the dots and making educated guesses. The idea of admitting how much you don’t know keeps you awake at night. According to Verywell Mind, this thinking classifies you as “The Expert,” one of the five impostor types described by Dr. Valerie Young.

5. “I Don’t Really Deserve My Pay.”

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Opening your paycheck feels like getting away with theft. You’ve done the math a hundred times, convinced there’s no way your contribution is worth what they’re paying you. Every time you approve expenses or talk about budgets, you fight the urge to apologize for costing the company money. The thought of asking for a raise makes you physically ill because you already feel overpaid for your “supposed” skills. When people discuss salaries, you stay quiet because admitting what you make feels like confessing to a crime.

6. “My Past Mistakes Define Me.”

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You carry around a mental catalog of every error you’ve ever made. That typo in an email from 2019? Still haunts you at 3 AM. The presentation where you stumbled over a word? Clearly evidence you’re not cut out for this. You’re convinced everyone else must be keeping score too, just waiting to bring up your past blunders. Every success feels temporary because surely someone remembers that one time you messed up. The weight of past mistakes feels heavier than all your achievements combined—according to Verywell Mind, this is also referred to as “negativity bias.”

7. “I Must Be Fooling Everyone.”

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You’ve started feeling like the world’s most successful con artist, only you never meant to pull off this scam. Every compliment makes you want to confess that you’re not really that smart/talented/capable. In meetings, you’re more focused on maintaining the illusion of competence than actually contributing. The praise from colleagues feels like they’re all part of some elaborate prank that’s about to be revealed. You’ve developed an arsenal of deflection techniques to avoid taking credit for anything positive. The guilt of “fooling” everyone has become your constant companion.

8. “Someone Better Should Have My Job.”

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You’re convinced there’s a more qualified person out there who deserves your position but somehow you snuck in first. Every success comes with thoughts about who could have done it better. You find yourself scanning LinkedIn, certain that any of these other professionals would be more suited for your role. The weight of taking up space that should belong to someone more deserving keeps getting heavier. You’ve caught yourself almost apologizing to job candidates you interview, feeling like an imposter judging their qualifications.

9. “I Don’t Belong in These Rooms.”

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Every high-level meeting feels like you accidentally wandered into a VIP area and nobody’s noticed yet. You sit there in executive discussions, sure that any minute someone’s going to check your credentials and escort you out. When people ask for your opinion, your heart races because you feel like a kid at the adults’ table. You’ve mastered the art of looking thoughtful while internally panicking about being discovered. The impostor syndrome hits hardest when you realize your opinion actually matters in these rooms.

10. “My Support System Are Biased.”

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Your friends and family’s pride in your achievements feels misplaced because they clearly don’t see the real you. You’ve convinced yourself they’re all wearing rose-colored glasses, blinded by love or loyalty. When someone close to you brags about your success, you want to pull them aside and explain how they’ve been fooled. You’ve gotten good at deflecting praise from loved ones because their belief in you feels like another layer of pressure. The gap between how they see you and how you see yourself keeps getting wider.

11. “All My Ideas Feel Stolen.”

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Even when you come up with something original, you’re convinced you must have accidentally plagiarized it from somewhere. You spend hours Googling your own ideas, certain someone else must have thought of them first. Every creative solution comes with a side of anxiety about unknowingly copying someone else’s work. When people praise your innovative thinking, you feel like a thief taking credit for other people’s concepts. You’ve started prefacing every suggestion with “I’m sure someone else has already thought of this” just to protect yourself.

12. “One Day They’ll All Find Out.”

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You live with this constant dread that there’s going to be some grand unveiling of your inadequacy. Like everyone’s going to gather in the conference room one day for a PowerPoint presentation of all your shortcomings. Every successful project feels like you’re just adding to the evidence that will eventually be used against you. You imagine scenarios where your colleagues finally realize you’ve been winging it this whole time. The anxiety of this imaginary exposure keeps you in a constant state of preparing for the worst.

13. “My Successful Friends Must Be Judging Me.”

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You’re convinced your accomplished friends secretly talk about how you don’t measure up to their level. Group dinners feel like a competition you’re losing, even when you’re sharing good news. You naturally downplay your achievements because surely they all see through your facade of success. When they share their wins, you feel like the weakest link in a chain of high achievers. You’ve started avoiding social media because seeing their updates triggers waves of inadequacy. The thought of them discussing how you don’t belong in their circle keeps you analyzing every interaction for signs they’ve figured you out.

14. “I Must Have Peaked Already.”

young bored programmer working on desktop PC in the office.
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You’re convinced you’ve used up all your good ideas and talent, and it’s only downhill from here. Every new project comes with the crushing anxiety that this will be the one that proves you’re past your prime. You find yourself hoarding past achievements like emergency rations for when people realize you’re not producing at the same level anymore.  You’ve started turning down new opportunities because surely this is when everyone will realize you’re running on empty.

15. “My Background Disqualifies Me.”

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Despite your achievements, you feel like your origin story somehow invalidates your success. Maybe it’s your education, your family background, or where you grew up—something makes you feel like an outsider who snuck into the club. Every time someone mentions their prestigious degree or connected family, you feel the need to apologize for your path. You’ve gotten really good at changing the subject when people ask about your background. The fear that someone will connect your past to your perceived inadequacy keeps you constantly on guard.

Danielle is a lifestyle writer with over 10 years of experience crafting relatable content for both major media companies and startups.