All this week we’re looking back on some of the best videos published on The Spinoff in 2020. Today, On the Rag dismantles the dreaded imposter syndrome.

For some it appears as a constant whisper, for others it’s a screeching megaphone in the face at the most inopportune of moments. Many of you will be familiar with the awful feeling of imposter syndrome – the voice telling you that you aren’t good enough, that everyone is going to find out you are a fraud. 

So how do we tell it to shut the hell up? 

In this episode of On the Rag, Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden grapple with the phenomenon that is imposter syndrome. First of all, is it a real medical syndrome? Where did it originate from? And how does it affect us? In an attempt to fight it, we devise a game you can play with your friends at home to keep the demons at bay. 

Finally, we hear from some extremely highly accomplished New Zealand women about whether or not they’ve ever felt like a fraud. We’re talking governor general Dame Patsy Reddy, New Zealander of the Year Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Oscar-nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley and Billy T Award winner Angella Dravid. 

And guess what? They all feel like imposters too!

On the Rag is made with the support of NZ On Air.