# It can be good to doubt yourself

By [Mickey Mellen](https://paragraph.com/@mickey-mellen) · 2024-07-06

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[**It can be good to doubt yourself**](https://www.mickmel.com/it-can-be-good-to-doubt-yourself/)

I often struggle with a bit of imposter syndrome (“_a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud_“), as do many people. It can feel like a bad thing, but I find that it has quite a bit of power.

I see a few ways that it can be beneficial:

*   As I [shared a few years ago](https://www.mickmel.com/a-small-dose-of-imposer-syndrome-is-a-good-thing/), **it can help us to keep working on our skills**. If you know you can be better, you’re more likely to keep pushing forward. It’s the opposite ([the Dunning-Krueger Effect](https://www.mickmel.com/the-pretense-of-knowledge/)) that can slow us down.
    
*   **It makes you more willing to receive feedback**. Along the lines of the previous point, if you already think you’ve got things down, you’re unlikely to listen very closely to advice. However, if you’re feeling a bit imposter-ish, advice can be exactly what you seek.
    

Imposter syndrome and doubts can certainly spiral into a bad place, so I’m not suggesting you should beat yourself up all the time. However, knowing your limits and seeking to expand them is often a great place to push.

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*Originally published on [Mickey Mellen](https://paragraph.com/@mickey-mellen/it-can-be-good-to-doubt-yourself)*