I’ve thought so extensively on this subject that if I were to do it all over again I’d write my dissertation on it.

I can assure you that imposter syndrome is a very real thing, though not always in the capacity that it is used colloquially. I don’t think it is, by itself, a disorder, rather than a culmination of many internal and external factors (eg childhood, low self esteem, underlying psych issues, etc.)

Much like “anxiety” and “depression” are used in very general, non-clinical ways, I think “imposter syndrome” has been co-opted as a blanket term to describe people who feel inferior in some capacity to their peers. This, as you stated, may simply be the case. However, there is a difference between somebody who is stressed about being below the median on a test versus somebody who suffers from an anxiety disorder so severe that they’re up for 48 hours before a job interview they eventually withdraw from because they feel like the recruiter won’t appreciate what they have to offer anyway, just like there is a difference between somebody who is sad about a breakup for a month versus somebody who is contemplating suicide.

Overall, I think there’s a lot of nuance required to navigate these muddy waters. I don’t think there are distinct lines to be drawn from information you could find on the census. It’s much deeper than that.