You Are a Badass at UX: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Summary
Key Insights
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Self-doubt among UX researchers is less about skill deficiency and more about internal narratives and thoughts.
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Being a badass researcher involves bravery, vulnerability, and authenticity rather than flawless skill alone.
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Influencing others effectively requires researchers to hold confident, positive beliefs about their work and themselves.
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Circumstances such as racism or sexism raise the difficulty of believing in oneself, but thoughts about them remain controllable.
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Changing thoughts and feelings is more foundational for growth than solely changing external actions or deliverables.
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A self-assessment focused on desired qualities (e.g., empathy, bravery) can help researchers identify and cultivate their ideal professional identity.
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Confidence does not result in arrogance; rather, it supports thoughtful, reflective, and compassionate research leadership.
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There is no external committee deciding what it means to be a badass researcher; each person must define this authentically.
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Supporting individuality and authenticity in the workplace fosters confidence and reduces the need for constant self-proving.
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Neuroplasticity means researchers can reshape their brains' wiring by consciously adjusting thoughts to improve emotional health and performance.
Notable Quotes
"Our jobs as researchers isn’t really to do research. It’s to influence people and help them make decisions."
"You need to believe what you’re doing is the right approach. You need to believe in your own skills and your team’s skills."
"Self-doubt comes home with you because research is ambiguous and many stakeholders don’t know what it is."
"Being badass means being vulnerable, standing up, being brave, and being true to yourself."
"The only person who gets to decide what it means to be badass is you."
"Thoughts cause feelings, and feelings motivate actions. Changing thoughts changes everything."
"You aren’t going to turn into an arrogant jerk by believing in yourself more."
"The more senior you become, the more focus shifts from methodology to interpersonal qualities like empathy and bravery."
"Confidence doesn’t dull criticality; self-doubt is a statement about your own worth, which we want to reduce."
"Supporting authenticity in the workplace lets people be themselves, which naturally boosts confidence."
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