25 May Impostor Syndrome
Many years ago, I was invited to a college alumni event at a fancy restaurant. One of my former professors had congratulated me on my work in addiction treatment research and sent me an invitation written in gold calligraphy.
As I looked around the room at the distinguished university faculty and alumni, I wondered if I had made a not-so-good decision in attending. It got worse as I flipped through the glossy handout of attendees and read the names of accomplished scientists, artists and athletes. My eyes scanned lengthy descriptions of people’s remarkable personal achievements and community service.
I was quite certain that at any moment, someone would come up to me and quietly whisper that they were very sorry, but they had made a horrible mistake in extending an invitation to me and that I wasn’t actually supposed to be there among all of these outstanding humans.
As I stood in the back of the restaurant, feeling quite out of place, I struck up a conversation with a polite gentleman with an Austrian accent. He gestured around the room at the well-dressed crowd and pointed toward the handout, saying he always felt uncomfortable in rooms full of accomplished people. “I’m more comfortable in the back. I make the food,” he said, gesturing toward the kitchen with a friendly smile.
I felt a sense of connection to this person who, like me, was feeling out of place at this event. As he turned to the side, I caught a glimpse of the name that was stitched into his white chef’s coat:
Wolfgang Puck.
My eyes grew wide. The man standing next to me was one of the most accomplished chefs of all time. He wasn’t just the cook – this was his restaurant. Here was Wolfgang Puck, candidly admitting to feeling slightly out of his depth while standing in one of his many successful restaurants around the world.
As he went to the back and brought out a tray of food to share with guests around the room, I felt a little better. Because if Wolfgang Puck felt like an impostor, maybe, at times, we all have doubts in our abilities and feel like we aren’t completely part of the worlds we inhabit.
And with that comforting thought, I walked over to a group of people and introduced myself.