With the agile and advancing times, we have not ceased to follow the corresponding fashion of growth and exuberance. Unfortunately, this is how our hurdles develop but it is more fortunate to understand that their development is proportional directly to the competence that we must inculcate at pace and at par to be fit. And the survival of the fittest is an unforgettable rule. Apparently, we have a cure, treatment and solution to possibly any and every problem that arises in our lives from technology to skills, from art to science, from wealth to health but nature has its distinguished ways to judge the calibre and therefore, believably it is true that now the biggest prevalent fight that one needs to win throughout is the one with himself and it is plausible enough to draw that this battle is the only that one needs to conquer – ‘The Battle with Emotions’.

One such spreading monster is that of ‘imposter syndrome’. Well, is it really so? To learn more, we must look towards the side that it was there already but we have just begun our path to awareness. Imposter syndrome refers to self-disdain, to keep it most precise and simple. It is a strong feeling with oneself of considering the own self to be useless in context of his achievements, successes, relations, capabilities and even personality. Persons with this syndrome feel excessive anxiety out of a trivial and unimportant perception about themselves that they are fraudulent, their accomplishments are out of sheer luck and that people around would soon negate them on finding this out, which therefore leads to the person being extra conscious about anything and everything. The person, as complex as the title considers himself to be ‘worthless’ or ‘floccinaucinihilipilificated’. The sufferer is actually pitiably trapped in a smothering sphere, not alone, but with the thorns and spines of fear, stress, insecurity, conflict, doubts, berating and so on which continually prick him or her.

The syndrome may attack any single trait or it may be dangerously pluralistic in its engulf of an innocent. But I have gotten an insight into an altogether unheard side of it when I saw it eating up one of my mates. He would always be under an indelible upsetting confirmation that all of us, his friends were his friends only because he appeared to be sweet in his conduct and character and even more, that he was convinced that he was actually not the way he would show up, out of no reason. It took us time and effort to actually understand what really was the thing wrong with him until we actually found out something known as imposter syndrome, to be existing on the ground. Initially, it was scary for us to accept such an obscure imagery that we had encountered. It took us time and effort to actually tell him that the things were different from what and how he thought them to be, about himself only. It would not be new to me if it is not felt with that gravity as it actually was but what it was, was weird in all the senses that an oblivion would have.

But we must not take it that way since the person who has to live with these perpetuating thoughts knows the immense difficulty. We all must have seen in some cartoons and had enough merry when a character is surrounded by a red coloured, horned evil’s face that always makes it sure to instigate that person towards the maxima of blunders. The person with the syndrome lives just like that playing the red evil’s part himself for his own self keeping him in utter discomfort, every second. Such a thing if is not managed or controlled well could be undoubtedly a cause much substantial for teenage suicides. And therefore, we require attention and awareness of the existence of such a thing and we all have our part in that. Thus, spreading this alone would be a good way-out since people would be easily able to control their thoughts and master them, as in case when any such thought process would germinate, hence nipping the evil in the bud. In my opinion, the syndrome keeps the person away from his own originality. It either makes the person stay in grim solitude or contrarily, it could make the person want sympathetic attention from people, both of which should not be considered normal desires. After having been into writing about it, I have fallen into a deep contemplation about myself being a patient to it too. I don’t know if you would be able to relate or not. But at the same time, I strongly feel that this syndrome has originated out of much talked about societal phrases and norms which have ultimately got them fixed as this imposter syndrome inside us. For instance, we hear from many that we should work for personal satisfaction and building and betterment and should not be wanting any appreciation for our work. It is okay if taken as it is. But if any child keeps hearing such things so constantly, psychologically, I think, he would be entering a stage where he would hate appreciation or praise for his work, wherein he or she would consider the other person too superior or a flatterer. In both the cases, the child or person has evidently lost the power to analyse his own done work but would judge other people’s comments and compliments, rather. Therefore, we need to take care to teach the balance of everything to our tots and youngsters and also make them know the existence of a thin slip between the genuine and ill.

Fake it till you make it. This is a golden magical and personally recommended thumb rule that never fails. If our mind can play us in making us constantly think such degrading things, then, we must know that we are the masters of our mind and must always have an attitude to keep it disciplined, the way we want. This would be a priceless art if learnt once, and the one which would grip us all through the thick and the thin. We all have been through ugly battles amid our own positive and negative thoughts, but the mere realization imparted by life experiences of the great men which has given that literally one positive thought is 1000 times powerful than any negative thought, should suffice any confusion thereon and that we must thence focus on always being positive whatever happens, especially about that you are the ever best creation of God. Even he could not create another one like you. So, let us cherish it and celebrate it. And we cannot always be giving utmost to our surrounding people, and uncertainty, they will always not be as you would expect. So, ‘akla cholo’, walk alone.