There is something oddly comforting in this short video from Harvard Business Review. Not because it tells people to simply “believe in themselves,” but because it reframes something many high achievers quietly struggle with: imposter syndrome.

Arthur Brooks argues that feeling like a fraud is often not a sign that you are incompetent. In many cases, it may actually signal the opposite. The people most convinced of their own brilliance are not always the people we should trust most. Meanwhile, those who remain aware of their own limitations are often the ones still learning, improving, and questioning themselves.

That does not mean imposter syndrome is enjoyable or harmless, not at all. Constant self-doubt can become paralysing. But there is an important distinction between leaning into uncertainty and surrendering to it. Between recognising your weaknesses and concluding that you do not belong.

One of the replies to this video perfectly captures my feelings:

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”

The commenter attributed the quote to Bukowski, but that is probably incorrect. Bertrand Russell seems a far safer candidate.