I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
A couple of years ago I had a short conversation with a colleague that went something like this:
Me: I sometimes feel like any minute now the whole world is going to figure me out. That I am a fraud, that I’m not qualified to do what I am doing, and they are going to finally realize what I’ve been trying to prove isn’t the truth.
Him: Are we talking about you, or me?
Up until tonight I’ve never encountered anyone other than that guy who was willing to admit they felt that way. Then I read the following:
When I read someplace that a lot of people found themselves haunted by the irrational thought that they were frauds, I recognized myself immediately-with the difference, of course, that I really was a fraud.
That comes from Peter Robinson, in his book, How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life.
It is really quite amazing to read that. Since I joined Ricochet I’ve asked myself how it is that these great men and women found themselves in a position to know so much about politics and history and the world. I realize reading Peter’s comment and reflecting on my own life that they are just like me: simply trying to get by in the world and doing the best they can and making sense out of life. They aren’t any greater than me. Peter goes on to say that working for Ronald Reagan made him realize that if the President could have simple, common views on important issues, then he could relax as a speechwriter and as a citizen. For me, reading how Peter learned this lesson from Reagan helps me to learn it as well.
So what do you say? How many frauds do we have on Ricochet?
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Comments:
Dec '10
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
This post and all the comments remind me of why I love Ricochet so much. Down to earth, intelligent, honest conversations with friendly (well, mostly) people. Tip o' the hat to the "Founding Fathers" (Mr.'s Long & Robinson). To the matter at hand: I once had a conversation with an industrial psychologist where I confessed my feelings that I was, indeed, a fraud. I'd joked for years that the firm keeps moving me around to different, challenging roles because their trying to find something I can do well. Her response was to refer me to a counselor who could help me work through my "issues.". This freaked me out & caused me to do quite a bit of soul searching. In the end, I believe these feelings are due to the desire to be humble. Not boasting. Not self-promoting. Effective. Useful. Reliable. These are the words we want said of us. Is this a conservative thing? Not sure. Is it a good thing? Judging by the company I keep here? Yes, indeed!
Apr '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
Wonderful post!
A succinct description of the left in using their outdated, inaccurate, and irrelevant though highly emotive terminology.
And the "veneer of knowledge and superiority," also known as a lack of humility, is endemic to the very folks that preach the nonsense following it.
I love farce and have heard it described as the highest form of humor, so well done!
However, out of curiosity, Valiuth, within the mythological framework quoted, how is the "proletariat" exploited in this country anyway and how are the "1%" defined; how do they get to be in the "1%"? Certainly you don't believe this nonsense, but maybe you can pillory it as well as you did the quote above.
High humor that, especially within this thread's context!
Edited on May 12, 2012 at 6:46amOct '11
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
I control you all. You plod reliably and surely along the magnetic lines of my grand design. All is proceeding as I have foreseen.
Apr '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
I'm glad to see someone else who doesn't think he's a fraud. (Although as a Little Fuzzy fan, I loved the Krafft-Ebing joke.) Like James, I have ample reasons to be humble in life. I also feel that I am always learning and improving as I study my craft and other occupations. But knowing that I am on a ladder of improvement allows me to be comfortable with the growth process and not feel like a fraud.
I'm somewhat curious to know if religion has anything to do with the perception. My wife was raised as a Catholic and feels like a fraud. I was raised in New Thought and have never felt like a fraud. Anyone else think there might be a religious component here?
Apr '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
I've had "Sexy and I know it" in my head all day because of this dang post.
THAT is where I feel like a fraud-- I sing Gilbert and Sullivan off the cuff (badly) to my girls, or Marty Robbins or other fairly classic stuff, but I still get great glee from "Sexy And I Know It," "International Love" or even blessed "Turtle Power." (I can sing that and Go Ninja from memory, ~1.5 decades later.)
We listen to the classic station (KING! Support them!) a lot...but I still have my Ace of Base CDs, not to mention Beasty Boys and N'Sync, and adored that Michael Jackson record with the white tigers, when he was cute.
Not sure where "Good Run of Bad Luck" goes, though.
Edited on May 12, 2012 at 9:55amApr '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
@#$@#$#@PO(I@#
SOMEONE ELSE HAS HEARD OF LITTLE FUZZY!!!!!
<3
Apr '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
GO FOR IT, oh my co-area-ist!
You can't do worse than I have. (At least nobody will ask if you liked the firefox browser that much-- I actually predate the browser, but booger if that helps.)
Susan in Seattle
MaggiMc:
As for Ricochet--I'm out of my depth and guaranteed to get found out in pretty short order. · 2 minutes ago
My thoughts are in alignment with this. That's why my involvement thus far has been limited to comments. In my many months here, I have posted precisely one item. It was about my cat and was in response to a query by a contributor. I would, however, like to post something that is interesting to me but in the scheme of things is rather silly. Still mustering my courage. · 6 hours ago
Apr '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
*lightbulb*
Last post here for tonight, promise.
K, wisdom is knowing how much you don't know, yes?
And smart people are most easily drawn into utterly insane things. (do I need to offer examples?)
Well, the folks here are both smart and wise-- we know we're vulnerable to utterly dumb stuff, but we also know we've got lots of room for improvement. Yet, somehow, most of our peers act like they're not vulnerable to being fooled and have NOTHING that can be improved.
So we feel like frauds.
Pretty story, no?
Dec '10
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
I spend a great deal of time trying not to be a fraud.
As an engineer, if I say my design is safe, it had damned well better be.
That state of affairs is not enhanced by trying to bluff one's way through a given situation.
When I don't know, I am duty bound to say so and then rectify the deficiency if at all possible. To do any less is, in most cases, negligent on my part (and maybe criminal if someone gets kilt because of it).
In the rest of life, I'm winging it as much as the next fellow, and I'm quite comfortable in telling someone that.
IMO not being omnipotent does not cross into fraud until one attempts to claim that they are.
Perhaps the closest I come to fraud status is when I call myself a Racing Car Driver and then append to the end (amateur) in tiny little gray letters.
At least there it is easy to tell the frauds from the real thing via on-track performance. Against my peers I'd hold my own. Against the best, I'd look like the fool I am.
May '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
By jeepers, I had this thought while on the elliptical this morning, and I quote --if only James Lileks could write something of value once in a blue moon, he could finally relax and enjoy his trips to Target with the knowledge of a job. well. done.--end quote. James? What is, A.) your take on that and B.) [subsection IX, alinéa ], is there or has there ever been a time when you, through sheer hard work and/or luck have ever, or anyone in your close entourage, including but not limited to members of your family, friend's families and neighboring communities, um... Darn I forgot where I was going with this.
Aug '11
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
This is one of the bigger revelations of my life, only realized slowly over the last few years: that everyone -- including the people I see as the most competent -- is nearly as insecure about their accomplishments and capabilities as I am, and that that insecurity drives a *lot* of our behavior.
Another side of that is, as an engineer, I often find myself having to convince management that something is a good idea even when you can't guarantee instant success (which continues to be impossible, despite every effort by both engineers and management). So you often have to project more confidence than you feel, at the same time making sure to tell the truth about the risks, which is a fun line to walk.
Edited on May 12, 2012 at 7:20pmRe: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
Ken, everyone, really, I just can't tell you how heartening it was to look over this conversation just now. I'm not alone! That fear that we'll be found out? Lots of us feel it!
I hadn't come across this quotation when I wrote my book about President Reagan or I would certainly have included it, but let me offer it here. It comes from that other champion of liberty and exemplar of humility, Calvin Coolidge--on of the three chief executives, incidentally, whose portrait President Reagan hung in the Cabinet Room (the other two: Lincoln and Ike).
“It is a great advantage to a president, and a major source of safety to the country, for him to know that he is not a great man.”
As with presidents, I figure, so with the rest of us.
Sep '10
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
The entire planet is now suffering under the delusions of the composite man who thinks the contrary.
May '10
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
I applaud! You applaud! We all applaud for schadenfreude!
Far Side fans will get it.
On a more serious note, one of my favorite quotes is this from Beethoven:
In other words, the smarter you are, the dumber you feel. Hence, the frequent crossover of genius and depression?
Edited on May 13, 2012 at 4:58amMay '10
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
On second thought, maybe it should be: I brood! You brood! We all brood for schadenfreude!
Anyway...
My old game design blog was called Anyway Games because my thoughts are naturally far more disjointed than they appear on Ricochet. I write infinitely better than I speak.
Nov '10
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
Rob has expressed surprise at the number of people who are nervous about posting anything on Ricochet. I think that this fear of being found out may be the reason. But let this post stand as a reminder to all of the members here: we all are a bunch of wannabes! So don't be afraid to post something that interests you, because it's a good chance it interests the rest of us as well!
Nov '11
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
The more I encounter the everyday wisdom of those nearest and dearest to me, the less I relish the "alphabet soup" of my academic degrees/certifications. To the wisest person I know-the wisest many of us know/have known/are: "Happy Mother's Day!"
Mar '11
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
My wife calls this being "Busted by the Imposter Police." She claims that almost every successful woman she knows suffers from this fear.
I am almost embarassed to share that I actually don't have this fear. I know that G-d has blessed me (as with everyone else) as having the ability to achieve true greatness. I actually totally resonate with Rush's claim to have "Talent on Loan from G-d."
One advantage of this mindset is that I don't have any problems making decisions. Worrying is entirely unproductive, so I don't bother.
The disadvantage is that, since I have the power to do good, it makes me feel personally responsible for everything wrong in the world. I am obsessed with being as productive as possible. I am not exactly a party animal.
Sep '10
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
Rob has expressed surprise at the number of people who are nervous about posting anything on Ricochet.
I'm surprised at the number of people who aren't.
Apr '12
Re: I'm a Fraud, and I'm Proud of It
Aaron Miller: On a more serious note, one of my favorite quotes is this from Beethoven:
In other words, the smarter you are, the dumber you feel. Hence, the frequent crossover of genius and depression? · May 12 at 7:54pm
Edited on May 12 at 7:58pm
I would put it another way: the tall poppy sees the sun.
Those below only see the sun filtered through the leaves and petals of the taller poppy, but the tall poppy sees the full glow of the sun. I use the poppy here because of an old saying: the tall poppy gets cut down. The conservative way is to try to pull everyone up. The statist way is to pull everyone down to the lowest common denominator.