Why You Should Use "Feeling Like a Fraud" as Fuel & Encouragement | Ep #37

Multifaceted Masculinity

As men, we've all felt like a fraud at some point but did you know it could actually be a positive thing? I'm not talking about hiding behind false humility or using it as a way to emotionally abuse yourself into "success".

I'm referring to using the feeling of being a fraud as an indicator that you're moving through the stages of competency. Once you learn how to identify it within the stages you begin to see how to use it as an encouragement to keep moving forward rather than a catalyst for a self-doubting spiral.

Stages of competency

Unconscious incompetence

The individual does not understand or know how to do something and does not necessarily recognize the deficit. They may deny the usefulness of the skill. The individual must recognize their own incompetence, and the value of the new skill, before moving on to the next stage. The length of time an individual spends in this stage depends on the strength of the stimulus to learn.[5]

Conscious incompetence

Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, they recognize the deficit, as well as the value of a new skill in addressing the deficit. The making of mistakes can be integral to the learning process at this stage.

Conscious competence

The individual understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires concentration. It may be broken down into steps, and there is heavy conscious involvement in executing the new skill.[5]

Unconscious competence

The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it has become "second nature" and can be performed easily. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing another task. The individual may be able to teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned.

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Four stages of competency

Impostor Syndrome