Imposter syndrome discourse is doing such awful to people. When say you're unsure about a project, everyone gives you a "you got this, girl!", instead of helping with what's insecurity, what's normal unknowns and what is being shoved out on a limb with no support or resources.

"Imposter syndrome" is the feeling like being a fraud, like you'll be found out any minute. It's a paranoid feeling, even when the facts point to otherwise.

That's not the same as having knowledge gaps. That's not the same as being unsupported in closing those gaps.

The expectation that women "just need more confidence" is misogyny.

Fuck "imposter syndrome".

Misogyny + denied learning opportunities + expectation that we have to be amazing to be recognized as competent + gaslighting isn't "imposter syndrome"

And don't even let's start once racism gets in the mix.

We have got to stop coopting psychologist's phrases to mean something much more general. I won't be first in line to say changing language is a good activism tactic, but the specific diffusion and hiding of meaning is a thing that really creeps up on all aspects of life.

It's the same as "I'm a little OCD" "I'm a little autistic" "Oh man, after that movie I'm so depressed". No, you're not. But what's hiding there is ableism, misogyny, racism, transphobia and also the fact that CAPITALISM HAS OPTIMIZED AWAY ANY SLACK IN THE SYSTEM.

This is concretely how oppression manifests, and this language is covering over it.

One way I understand oppression that informs a lot of how I respond is that it's a series of double binds, and imperfect knowledge of situations. We can't know what people are thinking, and we can only find out what they expect of us over the long term. And some is contradictory.

I think of this tweet a lot. https://twitter.com/alexbertanades/status/961318001743147008

There's so many.

"this is because I don't know enough"
"this is because they're treating me badly because I'm a woman"

"this is because I'm trans"
"this is because I'm being unreasonable."

We do not ever actually get to know. And we often can't trust second opinions either.

To everyone struggling with this, go get some credible people and make friends and get them to check you on things. But watch out for this "you go girl!" effect. The response has to be specific to the situation. Details matter. Definite answers are suspect & consider the source.