La sindrome dell'impostore: Non sono davvero brava come sembra

You did well at the exam? the professor believed you were better prepared than you were. You won the fellowship? good that nobody better prepared applied. You made a new and important discovery? it was just good luck, anybody could have done it. You got a grant? they didn't see those little mistakes in the project.... Psychologists call it 'impostor phenomenon or syndrome', and, while it is not classified as a disease, it is considered curable; we could define it as an unconscious 'mental attitude' that leads people to feel like a cheat, to believe that the hard won success has not been obtained through real personal value, but thanks to some other means. People consider themselves undeserving, appearing much better than what they really are, smarter, more competent, more capable. According to statistical studies, mostly in the USA, persons belonging to minorities are more often hit by the syndrome, and it becomes more relevant with higher achievements. Although it is not a disease, it can affect personal and professional life, just like being a woman;-). And indeed, women are more subject than men, and in particular in scientific and technological fields. In this chapter, we present some considerations on the origin, interpretations and consequences of the syndrome, and some ideas on what to do about it.