The Hidden Barrier That's Getting Worse, Not Better
New research from 2025 delivers a sobering reality: 7 in 10 women experience imposter syndrome at work—and despite decades of progress in gender equality, this gap isn’t closing.
A 2024 meta-analysis of over 40,000 participants confirmed what many of us already feel: women consistently score higher than men on imposter syndrome measures, with no evidence the disparity is decreasing. In tech specifically, more than two-thirds of women report feeling like frauds despite their expertise.
When the critic gets loud
Most of us know what it feels like when the critic takes over — the sharp, bossy voice that says “not good enough,” or “you should know better.” It can feel like that voice is the only one in the room.
But here’s what often gets overlooked: there’s another voice inside you. One that doesn’t push or shame. A quieter one, but steadier. Kinder. I call it the Inner Guide.
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What if everything you're searching for is already here?
In Internal Family Systems (IFS), these qualities are signs that our Inner Guide — what the model calls Self — is leading.
In Buddhism, the same essence is described as buddha nature. Other spiritual traditions have their own words for it. Different names, same wonderful human truth.
This isn't something we earn, achieve, or add on top of...
That Familiar Inner Voice
The other day I noticed my own inner critic creeping in. I was working on something that took a lot longer than expected. I had to leave it unfinished, I got a bit frustrated, and almost immediately a voice whispered: “You should have been able to finish--you don't really know what you're doing!!” This came with a sinking feeling in my belly and a certain heaviness.
I’...
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