Thankyou for crystalizing the thoughts which were flying around in my head on imposter syndrome, and for doing it so eloquently. I now have the words with which to have my conversations. It is normal to be worried in the situations women leaders find themselves in - it is not a syndrome we suffer from. As always - you are a star!
I've finally (aged 55) read Dracula and what I was most surprised by was the portrayal of Mina. In the men's telling (it's all done in letters and diaries for those who haven't read it), she's so often depicted as an angel who needs protecting at all times and is often excluded "for her own good". In her telling though, she's all strength, resilience and intelligence and is ultimately the one who pieces everything together leading to Dracula's defeat. It's such an interesting portrayal of a Victorian woman and I'm now spitting mad that so many filmmakers for the last century have cast her as a mostly helpless victim! Not surprised though.
I'm now on to finally reading Frankinstein, then neatly back to 'Vindications,' which, though it sat on my mum's bookshelf all my life, I shamefully have also never read.
Thanks for this. As a woman in tech, I do worry about making mistakes, and I think it holds me back. It reminds me of going to a talk on the gender pay gap, where it was helping women to ask for a pay rise. The implication being the reason they get paid less is because they don't ask. Transparency in pay would help with it. How do you know if you're being discriminated against if you don't know what everyone else is paid?
I once analyzed the text of Fordyce's sermons (on microfiche!) because Jane Austen mentions it in Pride and Prejudice. What I learned was that Mr. Collins uses exactly the same speech patterns and words per (very long) sentence. I used her narrator as my control sample, and the numbers were startling! So she masterfully executed a brutal takedown of Fordyce without actually calling him out by name and getting herself into trouble.
My email is amlindsey@fastmail.com if you want to know more! It's been awhile since I did that project, but I'm happy to chat about it!
Very happy to see imposter syndrome challenged and I've a further reflection to add: women are expected to have it. When we don't it is part of the same old thing of being aggressive or unpleasant. Why aren't we humble instead for proud or recognising our own self worth? I for one do not have imposter syndrome and never have. Despite having rejection sensitive dysphoria (or I suppose possibly because of it) and struggling to follow the secret interpersonal rules that sit within patriarchal institutions, I always knew I was capable and competent and the distance between my competence and the hugely variable recognition of it has always been a source of frustration and upset. But it allows me to critically consider my life experiences rather than turn them all in upon myself. I've done a number of women's leadership courses and so on and it has been consistently the case that impsoter syndrome is raised and women unite and bond over it. As is often the case, I think women ourselves can perpetuate the processes that keep us down. I think perhaps only one of these courses has given space to what you have raised - that the 'problem' is accurately perceiving our treatment. But ultimately it does take us to recognise our own self worth, and the worth of other women, to unite against the patriarchy.
Thankyou for crystalizing the thoughts which were flying around in my head on imposter syndrome, and for doing it so eloquently. I now have the words with which to have my conversations. It is normal to be worried in the situations women leaders find themselves in - it is not a syndrome we suffer from. As always - you are a star!
I've finally (aged 55) read Dracula and what I was most surprised by was the portrayal of Mina. In the men's telling (it's all done in letters and diaries for those who haven't read it), she's so often depicted as an angel who needs protecting at all times and is often excluded "for her own good". In her telling though, she's all strength, resilience and intelligence and is ultimately the one who pieces everything together leading to Dracula's defeat. It's such an interesting portrayal of a Victorian woman and I'm now spitting mad that so many filmmakers for the last century have cast her as a mostly helpless victim! Not surprised though.
I'm now on to finally reading Frankinstein, then neatly back to 'Vindications,' which, though it sat on my mum's bookshelf all my life, I shamefully have also never read.
Thanks for this. As a woman in tech, I do worry about making mistakes, and I think it holds me back. It reminds me of going to a talk on the gender pay gap, where it was helping women to ask for a pay rise. The implication being the reason they get paid less is because they don't ask. Transparency in pay would help with it. How do you know if you're being discriminated against if you don't know what everyone else is paid?
Love it Caroline. Keep pushing please 🙏
Thanks so much
Andrea Dworkin’s pedestal model of how women are conceptualized. Amazing piece.
I once analyzed the text of Fordyce's sermons (on microfiche!) because Jane Austen mentions it in Pride and Prejudice. What I learned was that Mr. Collins uses exactly the same speech patterns and words per (very long) sentence. I used her narrator as my control sample, and the numbers were startling! So she masterfully executed a brutal takedown of Fordyce without actually calling him out by name and getting herself into trouble.
My email is amlindsey@fastmail.com if you want to know more! It's been awhile since I did that project, but I'm happy to chat about it!
Hell just look at how we punish or "cancel" male versus female celebrities, JKR in particular.
Very happy to see imposter syndrome challenged and I've a further reflection to add: women are expected to have it. When we don't it is part of the same old thing of being aggressive or unpleasant. Why aren't we humble instead for proud or recognising our own self worth? I for one do not have imposter syndrome and never have. Despite having rejection sensitive dysphoria (or I suppose possibly because of it) and struggling to follow the secret interpersonal rules that sit within patriarchal institutions, I always knew I was capable and competent and the distance between my competence and the hugely variable recognition of it has always been a source of frustration and upset. But it allows me to critically consider my life experiences rather than turn them all in upon myself. I've done a number of women's leadership courses and so on and it has been consistently the case that impsoter syndrome is raised and women unite and bond over it. As is often the case, I think women ourselves can perpetuate the processes that keep us down. I think perhaps only one of these courses has given space to what you have raised - that the 'problem' is accurately perceiving our treatment. But ultimately it does take us to recognise our own self worth, and the worth of other women, to unite against the patriarchy.
Great point! We are expected to have it.
I often feel a great rush of gratitude to you, Caroline, after I’ve read something of yours! Thank you so much
Yes yes yes.