This is a Lexicon entry: the mechanism, when it shows up, and the countermeasure. The full correction, with real-world cases and the audit prompt, hasn't been written yet.
When it shows up
Difficult tasks where most people struggle: juggling, unicycling, programming, chess at high levels. When the task is hard enough that personal failure is salient, people assume everyone else is doing better. Impostor syndrome thrives in environments where Worse-than-Average Effect is active.
Failure mode
Underconfidence in domains where you are actually competent. Withdrawing from opportunities because you assume others are more capable. The effect is asymmetric with the better-than-average effect: easy tasks produce overconfidence, hard tasks produce underconfidence.
Countermeasure
Seek objective performance data rather than relying on self-assessment. Ask: "Do I have evidence that others are better or am I assuming it?" Apply CL-2 (Base Rate Check) to calibrate against actual population performance.
Related traps
Also connected in the mapSelf-serving Bias·3 more, locked
Read next
Entry #112 of 631 in The Lexicon · see the full Lexicon