Harvard Expert: Imposter Syndrome Is Actually a Good Sign

If you've ever landed a great opportunity and immediately thought "I don't deserve this," you're in good company, and according to Harvard behavioral scientist Arthur C. Brooks, you're exactly where you should be.

Brooks, who specializes in happiness research and works extensively with ambitious professionals, has discovered something surprising about imposter syndrome. The higher people climb and the more success they achieve, the more they doubt whether they've truly earned it.

"That's called impostor syndrome. It's completely natural," Brooks explains. But here's the twist: there's only one group of people who don't experience these feelings of being a fraud.

And that group? Actual imposters.

Brooks has found that people who genuinely deserve their success through hard work and merit are the ones constantly questioning if they've earned it. Meanwhile, people who don't deserve their success are usually the most confident they do.

The people who sail through life without self-doubt often fall into what psychologists call the "dark triad." These individuals score high in narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. They're willing to hurt others without remorse, take credit for work they didn't do, and feel zero self-doubt.

And they're not as rare as you might think. One in 14 people fits this profile.

Why This Inspires

Brooks explains that healthy people doubt themselves because they have a complete view of their internal landscape. You see both what you're good at and what you're still working on. But the world only sees your strengths and the value you create.

This is called negativity bias, where we naturally focus more on what we lack than what we have. When you're striving and ambitious, you zero in on your gaps instead of celebrating your wins.

The key is learning to lean into imposter syndrome without giving in to it. "Don't miss the opportunity to focus on the ways that you actually can get better and keep striving," Brooks says.

When things are going well, it means people are focusing more on your strengths than your weaknesses. That's not fake or undeserved. That's real.

Brooks suggests using those moments of self-doubt as a tool for growth. Recognize your weaknesses without dwelling on them, and use that awareness to keep improving.

Self-doubt paired with success is simply evidence of healthy humility. It means you're self-aware enough to know you're not perfect, and grounded enough to keep growing.

Feeling like an imposter doesn't mean you are one, it means you're the real deal.