Don't challengeyourself for fearthat you mightlook bad if youdon't knowsomethingFailure isnot anoptionIt was afluke. I canonly be thisgood onceI should beable to domost thingsby myselfI shouldfeel luckythat I gotthis scoreI succeededbecause Ihad a lot ofhelpNever let onthat you donot knowhow to dosomethingI onlywon/accomplishedbecause therewasn't that muchcompetitionI assume Iwill fall shortso I won't bedisappointedwhen I doI apologizefor mistakesor for notknowingsomethingI should just"get it" likeeveryonearound meI remind othersof how much Idon't know sothey don'texpect toomuchEventuallypeople willrealize thatI'm not thatsmartI panic beforea test orpresentationorperformanceI assume whenpeople arecomplimentingme they arebeing niceI was probablychosen/admittedbecause ofsome kind ofmistakeIf I can doit, anyonecanI hold backwhenworking witha group orteamI qualifythings bysaying: "Thismay not beright, but..."Do not letpeople seeyou workingtoo hardI try to be reallypersonable andfriendly so peoplewon't notice ormind if I'm not thatgood.I don't tellanyone Ifeel like animpostorI look reallygood on paperbut I don't reallyhave the skills tolive up to mycredentialsI always sharecredit withothers even ifI did most ofthe workDon't challengeyourself for fearthat you mightlook bad if youdon't knowsomethingFailure isnot anoptionIt was afluke. I canonly be thisgood onceI should beable to domost thingsby myselfI shouldfeel luckythat I gotthis scoreI succeededbecause Ihad a lot ofhelpNever let onthat you donot knowhow to dosomethingI onlywon/accomplishedbecause therewasn't that muchcompetitionI assume Iwill fall shortso I won't bedisappointedwhen I doI apologizefor mistakesor for notknowingsomethingI should just"get it" likeeveryonearound meI remind othersof how much Idon't know sothey don'texpect toomuchEventuallypeople willrealize thatI'm not thatsmartI panic beforea test orpresentationorperformanceI assume whenpeople arecomplimentingme they arebeing niceI was probablychosen/admittedbecause ofsome kind ofmistakeIf I can doit, anyonecanI hold backwhenworking witha group orteamI qualifythings bysaying: "Thismay not beright, but..."Do not letpeople seeyou workingtoo hardI try to be reallypersonable andfriendly so peoplewon't notice ormind if I'm not thatgood.I don't tellanyone Ifeel like animpostorI look reallygood on paperbut I don't reallyhave the skills tolive up to mycredentialsI always sharecredit withothers even ifI did most ofthe work

Impostor Syndrome Bingo - Call List

(Print) Use this randomly generated list as your call list when playing the game. There is no need to say the BINGO column name. Place some kind of mark (like an X, a checkmark, a dot, tally mark, etc) on each cell as you announce it, to keep track. You can also cut out each item, place them in a bag and pull words from the bag.


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  1. Don't challenge yourself for fear that you might look bad if you don't know something
  2. Failure is not an option
  3. It was a fluke. I can only be this good once
  4. I should be able to do most things by myself
  5. I should feel lucky that I got this score
  6. I succeeded because I had a lot of help
  7. Never let on that you do not know how to do something
  8. I only won/accomplished because there wasn't that much competition
  9. I assume I will fall short so I won't be disappointed when I do
  10. I apologize for mistakes or for not knowing something
  11. I should just "get it" like everyone around me
  12. I remind others of how much I don't know so they don't expect too much
  13. Eventually people will realize that I'm not that smart
  14. I panic before a test or presentation or performance
  15. I assume when people are complimenting me they are being nice
  16. I was probably chosen/admitted because of some kind of mistake
  17. If I can do it, anyone can
  18. I hold back when working with a group or team
  19. I qualify things by saying: "This may not be right, but..."
  20. Do not let people see you working too hard
  21. I try to be really personable and friendly so people won't notice or mind if I'm not that good.
  22. I don't tell anyone I feel like an impostor
  23. I look really good on paper but I don't really have the skills to live up to my credentials
  24. I always share credit with others even if I did most of the work