Types of Imposter Syndrome

I recently attended a meetup where someone was sharing the five common types of imposter syndrome, according to Dr. Valerie Young of the Impostor Syndrome Institute:

• The Perfectionist: Individuals set impossibly high standards for themselves, experiencing shame and self-criticism when they perceive even minor flaws as failures.
• The Superhuman: Individuals feel compelled to excel in all areas of their lives, juggling multiple roles and feeling like a fraud if they don’t achieve perfect success in all of them.
• The Expert: Individuals are driven to constantly acquire more knowledge and credentials, feeling like they’ll be exposed as incompetent if they don’t know everything about their field.
• The Natural Genius: Individuals believe they should effortlessly master new skills and concepts, and if they struggle or need help, they feel shame and inadequacy.
• The Soloist: Individuals believe they should achieve success entirely on their own, viewing seeking or accepting help as a sign of weakness or a confirmation of their inadequacy. 

I have often self-identified as having imposter syndrome.  But these types didn’t resonate with me.  Although there are aspects of several of these that I can relate to – I didn’t feel like any of them really highlighted what my struggle/type is.  I can relate to high standards but isn’t not about my flaws as failures or perfection to superhuman – it’s about letting others down.  I definitely constantly acquire more knowledge but I very much embrace the concept of complexity and actually think expecting to know everything is not only unrealistic but also arrogant.  Then although I relate to not seeking help as much as I should – I am fully aware that I would not be where I am today without the help of others so I don’t see that as a weakness.

When I think about my imposter syndrome drivers, it boils down to:

• Fear of not having a plan b (survival) and whether people feel like I’ve earned my place so I can stay.  That I feel lucky to be where I am today and a fear of losing it all.  So I work harder, studied harder, etc.  
• Fear of letting others down.  Because I feel so lucky to be where I am and grateful for the people that have helped, I just really don’t want to let anyone down.  So I work harder, studied harder, etc.  

I don’t know where that fits into these types, which makes me wonder if my self statement of imposter syndrome might not be accurate.  But I don’t know what the term would be for my drivers.  Or maybe there is another type of just Critic or Fearful.  Definitely something that has me pondering.   

Do these types resonate with you?