General Discussion

Intractable

(2,443 posts)

58. Well, I've never heard a black woman talk about impostor syndrome.

Tue Jun 2, 2026, 05:09 PM

19 hrs ago

But, I'm sure they experience it, just like every white guy I ever met.

signed

-- a white guy

You fake it until you make it.

One day, you'll have been faking it for so long that you'll realize you now know the job, and are the best person for that job.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Swede

95 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

"I've never heard a white man talk about impostor syndrome. I haven't met one." [View all] malaise 22 hrs ago OP

Perhaps, the White Men don't understand the imposter syndrum. chouchou 22 hrs ago #1

I love Michelle, but yeah... NO. I suffer from that almost every day. Happy Hoosier 22 hrs ago #2

Yes there are non-elite white men malaise 22 hrs ago #6

It was clear H2O Man 21 hrs ago #22

Agree malaise 20 hrs ago #30

Please explain it then, is she only talking the upper crust hoity toity stuff? questionseverything 20 hrs ago #33

"at every powerful table there is" H2O Man 19 hrs ago #59

Respectfully, she sits at the highest table. mr715 18 hrs ago #66

I'm fine with H2O Man 18 hrs ago #68

I assume no one sits near those tables. mr715 18 hrs ago #69

Right. H2O Man 18 hrs ago #75

I'm not understanding something. mr715 18 hrs ago #79

Okay. H2O Man 14 hrs ago #86

Thank you for taking the time to write this reply to help me understand mr715 14 hrs ago #87

Thank you H2O Man 12 hrs ago #88

This is a perfect example of white privilege: Celerity 17 hrs ago #82

That's great H2O Man 17 hrs ago #84

Well said. I share your opinion. NT Happy Hoosier 3 hrs ago #94

She sat at dinner tables not the meeting table... questionseverything 18 hrs ago #73

Oh H2O Man 18 hrs ago #76

The Obama White House was pretty transparent about what the president and first family were doing questionseverything 18 hrs ago #78

Well yes, she could have. H2O Man 17 hrs ago #81

This message was self-deleted by its author questionseverything 18 hrs ago #74

Name one time H2O Man 18 hrs ago #77

That's fair, but... Happy Hoosier 3 hrs ago #93

I think that you are not alone. I understand what Michelle means, but wnylib 20 hrs ago #26

ironically in my work -- the imposters never seem to feel like imposters. just arrogant POS JT45242 20 hrs ago #31

Agree that impostors nevrr seem to feel like impostors. wnylib 20 hrs ago #36

Absolutely... furthermore... Happy Hoosier 20 hrs ago #32

But did THEY acknowledge that they were impostors is the question... live love laugh 11 hrs ago #90

Totally agree. Michelle may not know many working class white men. johnnyplankton 19 hrs ago #45

You just described me genxlib 19 hrs ago #56

I'm a white man getting a Ph.D. in neurobiology mr715 22 hrs ago #3

Similar here but working in higher level technology OC375 20 hrs ago #25

Just be glad your not a white dumbass, like me! Doodley 18 hrs ago #71

I'm a white dumbass. mr715 18 hrs ago #72

I appreciate her candor MustLoveBeagles 22 hrs ago #4

Funny that it's resulted in some reasoned TheProle 19 hrs ago #53

She needs to meet more people Renew Deal 22 hrs ago #5

I'm black but a disagree. tman 21 hrs ago #7

Trmp at a Mensa meeting would feel that he was among a whole bunch of imposters. nt eppur_se_muova 21 hrs ago #8

Yup. Kid Berwyn 21 hrs ago #9

Right! H2O Man 20 hrs ago #24

Well, she certainly hasn't met everyone. BlueTsunami2018 21 hrs ago #10

Hanks has it because deep down, he knows Peter Scolari was the better actor on "bosom buddies" unblock 21 hrs ago #13

I've seen astronauts discuss it Sympthsical 21 hrs ago #15

"When they go low..." mr715 21 hrs ago #19

during my work years i occasionally felt like i was faking it. rampartd 21 hrs ago #11

So that's what it's called... NewHendoLib 21 hrs ago #12

She doesn't appear to have any close white male friends Bok_Tukalo 21 hrs ago #14

Hi, Mrs. Obama. I'm Aristus. Nice to meet you. I am a great admirer of you and your husband. Aristus 21 hrs ago #16

. mr715 21 hrs ago #18

All those unqualified white morons in the current administration Americanme 21 hrs ago #17

I wish there was a pill? Prairie_Seagull 21 hrs ago #20

Ah, sweet Xanax... mr715 19 hrs ago #60

100 percent. nt Prairie_Seagull 16 min ago #95

He may not talk about it, but our so-called President has deep insecurity about not being good enough, good looking Sogo 21 hrs ago #21

And he has never forgiven the New York elites for not malaise 20 hrs ago #28

Exactly. He will never admit to it, but some tiny part of him... 3catwoman3 20 hrs ago #38

Then she should meet me nuxvomica 20 hrs ago #23

Recommended. H2O Man 20 hrs ago #27

I read it Sympthsical 20 hrs ago #35

Thank you. I respect Ms Obama, but this is some tone-deaf shit TheProle 20 hrs ago #42

Oh hell, I'm there Sympthsical 19 hrs ago #44

Kudos on the courage for a career change TheProle 19 hrs ago #47

Congrats. mr715 19 hrs ago #51

No thank you. H2O Man 19 hrs ago #54

retirement freed me from imposter syndrome mike_c 20 hrs ago #29

No offense to her, but I'm guessing she's not really in the same circles as white men who experience imposter syndrome. WhiskeyGrinder 20 hrs ago #34

In creative circles, that's pretty much everyone. C_U_L8R 20 hrs ago #37

It's the difference between being welcome at the table dlk 20 hrs ago #39

I'll admit to the imposter syndrome BeneteauBum 20 hrs ago #40

OK, I looked it up Skittles 19 hrs ago #46

Thanks Skittles BeneteauBum 19 hrs ago #62

yup Skittles 17 hrs ago #83

I wanted to be an estuary ecologist when I was in college. mr715 19 hrs ago #57

It was a rewarding career BeneteauBum 18 hrs ago #65

Both my youngest son and I, white men have experienced it. NNadir 20 hrs ago #41

IIRC, when asked if she was ever intimidated by these meetings, she said, "No, they're not all that smart." OMGWTF 20 hrs ago #43

Maybe Michelle Obama had a different meaning FakeNoose 19 hrs ago #48

I hate to say this: PCIntern 19 hrs ago #49

She hasn't talked to me. Hassler 19 hrs ago #50

Sorry Mrs Obama ironman99 19 hrs ago #52

I think it's very naive to assume it never happens to white men Skittles 19 hrs ago #55

Well, I've never heard a black woman talk about impostor syndrome. Intractable 19 hrs ago #58

That's hyperbolic, and may be true in her experience, but not universally true. Ursus Rex 19 hrs ago #61

Huge gaffe... gulliver 19 hrs ago #63

It's clear MorbidButterflyTat 19 hrs ago #64

Sorry, but she needs to get out more. She hasn't heard about imposter syndrome from white men RockRaven 18 hrs ago #67

It's a fact that some white men are more insecure or less fortunate than some black men. Doodley 18 hrs ago #70

I adore her but she's wrong in this. I think most white men suffer from this Iris 18 hrs ago #80

I don't get the furor misanthrope 16 hrs ago #85

*headdesk* Does she even know what it is? sakabatou 11 hrs ago #89

I don't by any means sit at the kind of elite tables she's talking about. Jedi Guy 10 hrs ago #91

Michelle apparently never talked to a white man like my boyfriend. Boyfriend said Raine 7 hrs ago #92