Imposter Syndrome or Witch Wound? How to Tell
Imposter syndrome says you’re not good enough. The witch wound says it isn’t safe to be seen. Here’s how to tell which fear is keeping you small and what helps.
Last updated: 22 September
I know you.
Your clients get results. They send you thank-you messages. They tell their friends about you.
And you still won’t press publish.
Someone will tell you it’s imposter syndrome. Maybe it is.
But let me be clear here.
Imposter syndrome says, “I’m not good enough.” The witch wound says, “I know I’m good, but it isn’t safe to be seen.” They can overlap, but they aren’t the same fear, so they don’t need the same fix.
That difference matters. If you keep treating the wrong one, you can collect all the proof in the world and still hide.
Below, I’ll show you how to tell them apart and what to do about each.
What is imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you don’t deserve your success and that someone will eventually find you out. The idea comes from psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, who wrote about it in 1978.
According to Simply Psychology, their work drew on more than 150 high-achieving women who had no inner sense of accomplishment and put their success down to luck or charm.
It isn’t a medical diagnosis. The same article notes that it doesn’t appear in the main diagnostic manuals, the DSM and ICD.
The key thought is about your ability.
“I got lucky.”
“They’re going to work out that I don’t know what I’m doing.”
What is the witch wound?
The witch wound is a name for the deep belief that it isn’t safe for a woman to be fully seen. It’s a lens many women use, and it’s how I make sense of what I see in my clients. It isn’t a diagnosis.
Here’s the kitchen-table version.
I’d build a client a strong strategy, and she wouldn’t publish it. She knew the work was good. She just couldn’t bear to be seen doing it.
The key thought here is about safety.
“If I say what I really think, I’ll be judged.”
“If they know what I really do, I’ll lose something.”
I’ve felt this myself. Much of my fear of being seen came from being put down by other women.
What’s the difference between imposter syndrome and the witch wound?
The main difference is that imposter syndrome questions your ability, while the witch wound questions your safety. One says you aren’t good enough. The other says that being good and being seen could cost you.
| Comparison | Imposter syndrome | Witch wound |
|---|---|---|
| The core fear | I’m not good enough | It isn’t safe to be seen |
| The thought | They’ll find me out | They’ll judge me or turn on me |
| What you do | Over-prepare and discount your success | Hide, stay vague and play small |
| Who it’s about | Your ability | Other people’s reaction |
| What proof does | Often helps for a while | Often doesn’t touch the fear |
| What usually helps | Collect evidence of your results | Name who you’re hiding from |
This table is my way of telling them apart, not a clinical test. Real life is messier than two columns.
How can you tell which one you’re dealing with?
Ask what you’re afraid will happen if you publish. If the fear is “they’ll see I’m not good enough”, lean towards imposter syndrome. If it’s “they’ll judge me for being seen”, lean towards the witch wound.
Then ask yourself these questions:
- Would more proof fix this? If yes, it may be imposter syndrome.
- Would you do it if nobody you knew could ever see it? If yes, you may be dealing with a fear of being seen.
- Do you trust your work with clients? If yes, but your marketing feels frightening, your ability may not be the problem.
- Is there one person you picture when you press publish? If so, that’s where to start.
Here’s a clue. If you’ve got the testimonials, the results and the qualifications, and you’re still hiding, another certificate won’t help.
Interesting right?
Why would a fear from the witch hunts matter today?
The witch hunts matter because they’re a stark example of what could happen to women who stood out, even though nobody can prove exactly how that history shapes you now. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
The numbers are real. The University of Edinburgh’s Survey of Scottish Witchcraft identified 3,837 people accused of witchcraft in Scotland while the Witchcraft Act was in force from 1563 to 1736. It found that 84% were women.
And those are the ones whose documents have survived 400 years!
This is personal for me. When I researched my ancestry, I found my Scottish family was connected to women killed in those hunts.
You don’t need witches in your family tree for this idea to be useful.
You only need to have noticed that women are still told to be quiet, be nice and not show off.
Well, I call bullshit.
What helps with imposter syndrome and the witch wound?
For imposter syndrome, collect evidence of your results. For the witch wound, name who you’re afraid of and test whether the danger is real. You may need both, because plenty of women have both.
If it’s imposter syndrome:
- Keep your client results somewhere you can see them.
- Write down what you did to get each result, so you can’t put it down to luck.
- Ask a client why she chose you.
If it’s the witch wound:
- Name the person you’re hiding from.
- Score how likely they are to see it, and how much they’d care.
- Write down what you’d say if they reached out.
- Publish one thing that sounds like you.
If either fear is affecting your daily life, talk to a mental health professional. A blog post can give you a new way of seeing it, but it can’t replace proper support.
Why Do I Keep Hiding in My Business?
FAQs: imposter syndrome and the witch wound
Q: Is the witch wound real? A: The witch wound isn’t a medical diagnosis or a scientifically proven condition. It’s a way of describing the fear that it isn’t safe for women to be fully seen. Many women find it a useful lens, and the historical witch hunts it refers to were very real.
Q: Can you have imposter syndrome and the witch wound at the same time? A: Yes. You might doubt your ability and also fear being judged for being visible. In my experience they often show up together. Ask which thought is loudest when you’re about to publish, and start there.
Q: Is fear of being seen the same as imposter syndrome? A: Not quite. Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you don’t deserve your success. Fear of being seen is about what might happen when people notice you. You can know you’re good at your work and still be frightened of being visible.
Q: How do I know if my marketing fear is the witch wound? A: A strong clue is that you trust your work with clients, but you can’t bring yourself to publish. If you picture a certain person judging you, or you feel unsafe being fully yourself in public, the witch wound may be a helpful lens.
So what do you do now?
If more proof would fix it, go and collect the proof.
If you’ve got the proof and you’re still hiding, stop looking for another qualification.
Find out who you’re hiding from.
That’s exactly what “You’re Not That Interesting” is for. It’s my free 5-minute training to help you get out of your own way and press publish.
You're Not That Interesting, Get the free training.
Which one sounds more like you? Tell me in the comments.
About Eve John: Eve John is a copywriter, story-based marketing strategist and the founder of Dauntlexx. She’s the author of four books, including Office Witches Spellbook, and speaks about witchcraft and the patriarchy on panels and in the media.
