Date: Oct, 6, 2024

From: Hussain Ibarra

To: My favorite reader

I've never seen myself as a good writer.

Even though people who I look up to (Dan Koe and Kieran Drew), and many other creators in the space say otherwise.

I mean 14 months ago I wasn't a 'writer'. I didn't even know what writing was.

But here I am talking about all different kinds of writing, copywriting, and marketing shenanigans—and people are telling me that I’m good?

It doesn’t make sense.

Every time I write an email, a long form, or a thread I see a million mistakes in them.

But whenever I've seen other people write it feels like it's perfect.

Perhaps we are our own worst critics. But it's true.

We always see other people better than us.

That's imposter syndrome.

It feels like you're not good enough to deserve whatever you achieved. It stands in your way and always makes you doubt every move you make.

It's a feeling that makes you believe that you're not good enough or talented, but rather you're a fraud.

But you're not alone.

A bunch of people (who are very successful) dealt with the same thing:

1) Neil Gaiman (a famous English writer) was invited to an event. Everyone there was a scientist, writer, artist, etc.

He was scared that people would eventually realize that he didn't belong to be there. 2 nights go by and he starts talking to a man who's in his 70s. They started talking because they both shared the same first name, Neil.

Later the older man pointed out to the crowd and said:

"I just look at these people and I think, what am I doing here? They've all done and discovered amazing things. I just went where I was sent".

The older man was Neil Armstrong. The first human to step on the moon.

2) Einstien thought he didn't deserve the praise and position he was awarded.

He said that the year he died. After he won the Nobel Prize, came up with Relativity, and created the atomic bomb…

In 2024 Korn Ferry did a study on 10,000 employees. They found that 70% of CEOs dealt with imposter syndrome.

And another study in 2020 found that 82% of people dealt with the imposter phenomenon (mini imposter syndrome)

So what's going on?

A Mask You Can't Take Off

The problem with imposter syndrome is people who have it, think they got to the top because they got lucky or convinced those around them that they're good (not because they are actually good).

So they put more effort (the type of effort heroes put to save a city) to show people that they're good.

But the more effort they put in, the more successful they become.

Which makes their imposter syndrome even worse.

And after you succeed, you start suffering from something called Achievemephobia.

You start becoming scared of success. Because success doesn't mean doing it once. It means doing it more than once and consistently.

Overnight success becomes your worst nightmare. Because you'll be scared that you can't pull it off again and that others will start saying that you were a flash in the pan and that you're lucky.

Sometimes it gets to a point where you think become an expert at convincing people that you're talented (when you're not).

Maya Angelou a famous writer and poet would always start writing her new book saying:

"This is the time that the world would see me as a fraud, and that I'm not as good at writing as everyone thinks I am."

But almost always her books would become a best-seller.

And failing is just as bad.

Because people would find out that you're a fraud.

And nobody likes to be seen as a fraud and a liar.

Take me for example:

I wrote a thread last week, about Allan Dib was by far the best thread I've ever written.

But for the last 6 days I've been writing another thread about caffeine, but I've been questioning myself:

"What if it doesn't do as well?"

"What if it just flops?"

"What if I just got lucky?"

It's imposter syndrome trying to hold me back.

Dunning-Krugger Effect

If smart and talented people are always questioning themselves.

Then the Dunning-Kruger Effect is the opposite of imposter syndrome.

Dumb people think they're smart. Never questioning themselves.

The problem with ignorance, it's very similar to expertise and confidence.

They do something that's dangerous (but they don't know that because they're ignorant), and to other people, they look like they know what they're doing.

That's because incompetent people (ignorant people) are blessed with inappropriate confidence (that makes them look like they know what they're doing).

In 1999, David Dunning did a study and saw that the bottom 25% of people rated their skills to be FAAAR better than average.

But those in the top 25% rated their skills to be less than average.

"Not only do they reach mistaken conclusions and make regrettable errors, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it."

Be A Friend, Not The Teacher

The reason I felt like an imposter is because I've always been the student.

But whenever I wrote something, I would write it as a teacher, because "I need authority" (which is BS btw).

But now, whenever I write something I write it as a friend. Someone who's on your level (maybe 1 or 2 steps ahead of you). And let me tell you, this made things a whole lot better.

You no longer need to worry that you're a fraud (because you already admitted that you don't know everything by taking this approach).

And as you see you're helping people with what you're learning, the imposter syndrome starts to fade away.

Bonus tip:

If you're doing something that's new and looks 'weird' to your friends. Keep it a secret from them. You don't want to add any unnecessary pressure on yourself.

Cuz the idea of them knowing what you're doing and making fun of you because that's 'not you' will only make things worse.

I'm currently keeping this whole personal brand and writing online thing a secret from everyone. Mainly because they don't see the value in it as we do. And instead of hearing their negative opinions, you hear the positive ones.

That's all for this week.

Thank you for reading.

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PS:

I know this was a long one, but it's something I've always been interested in writing about.

Let me know if you enjoy these longer deep dives more.

PPS:

Yesterday was my birthday (I just turned 23).

Say "Happy birthday", or else….