On Fraudulence
Borrowing is part of the creative process
Imposter syndrome is a disorder that plagues creatives in all fields. It is a distilled version of fraudulence—the feeling that what you create is not valuable, just a poor copy of something else. Truthfully, the feeling is probably closer to reality than we would care to admit. We are just an intersection of pre-existing thought-patterns, social norms and shared experiences, after all. The other side of the coin, though, is the individuality that this intersection creates. Every layer of this intersection adds more nuance, and in that nuance lives your voice. Your contribution. Your creativity.
Online writing teacher David Perell explores the idea that many pieces of writing are largely borrowed in his “50 Days of Writing” email series. He is well-known for his quip “imitate, then innovate;” successful writers often start by copying the style of their greatest influences, then separate from the pack by further developing their own unique voice. While it is vital to attribute quotes and ideas to their original authors, it can leave the writer feeling like they are not contributing any new ideas. This can lead to imposter thinking: Am I just parroting David Perell? Are any of my discussion of habits really any different than James Clear’s?
The truth lies in the synthesis. Borrowing is part of the creative process— the new and the interesting, the nuance, rests in the overlap between the borrowing. David Perell has a large audience, which likely consists of a lot of readers who are familiar with James Clear. Add Ryan Holiday into the equation, with his work at the Daily Stoic as well as his books, and the field narrows again. Mix it up with a close study of original Stoic texts, deep reads of Nietzsche, and some influence from YouTube philosophy and the pinpoint comes in to focus. Tie it together with educational psychology and mindfulness and my specific intersection arises.
Perell says that “intellectual progress has always been combinatorial” (“The Right Kind of Original”). Every new idea is a mix of old ideas, or results from finding the missing connection between ideas. Therefore, this feeling of fraudulence should be replaced with a desire to combine and recombine.
James Clear says that when he began writing, he felt like an imposter: “I had never considered myself a master of the topic, but rather someone who was experimenting alongside my readers” (Atomic Habits). His nod to his audience implies the combinatorial nature of the progress he is making in his field, but there is new depth. There is a sense of humility that results in feelings of fraudulence. This is by no means a bad impulse, but it creates some tension with the idea that progress is combinatorial and can result in negative self-talk. Keeping perspective on your expertise keeps you open to new ideas, but diminishing your accomplishments is a roadblock.
Then, psychology adds a distinction: feelings are separate from identity. You may feel fraudulent, but that does not make it so. Dr. Valerie Young, Ed.D, writes that we should remind ourselves that “I may not know all the answers but I’m smart enough to find them out” (“10 Steps You Can Use to Overcome Impostor Syndrome”). The fact that you are trying to create shows that you are on the right path, and the answers will reveal themselves as you act.
So, an answer to fraudulence, from my intersection, is that:
Intellectual progress is combinatorial (David Perell)
Humility is a double-edge sword resulting in openness but also feelings of fraudulence (James Clear)
Combating these feelings is to separate them out from identity and to affirm what we know about ourselves (Valerie Young)
This intersection empowers me to continue the path that I am on. My goal is to put old ideas in front of my readers in new ways through my specific point of synthesis.
Hopefully, some intellectual progress will be made along the way.
Edited by Jeremy Harr and Abigail McKay Cherry
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And then there are those who have read very little and yet claim their ideas are new and original!