Ego, as a delicate trait, is also responsible for our level of faith and belief in our own capabilities and opinions. It is no wonder that having a level of belief in ourselves is vital to the act of creation and problem-solving in programming. In the technology industry especially, imposter syndrome seems to be a widespread occurrence. Imposter syndrome is characterized by a feeling of being an imposter—that you are somehow not suitable or sufficiently capable for the role you have, while you feel as though others around you are far more capable.

It can be argued that its prevalence in the software industry is due to the inherent complexity and wealth of specialties. We can, at best, hope for a high level of proficiency in a relatively narrow area but will never be expertly knowledgeable in all areas. We are, as we move about in our day-to-day work, ever aware of all the things we don't know, and this can understandably create a level of anxiety and lack of confidence in our own humble abilities. Such a feeling can sometimes cause stress, alienation, and a lack of confidence in our own abilities.

This may yield the following negative outcomes:

• Lack of decisiveness: A lack of belief in our own capabilities can result in low levels of confidence when making a decision about our code's architecture; not knowing which route to take can often mean the default route is taken, which is especially liable to the cargo cults.
• Lack of boldness: A lack of assertiveness may result in less risk-taking and fewer bold decisions being made, but sometimes such decisions need to be made to move a project or code base forward. For example, picking a more reliable UI or testing framework can be a large and bold risk given the cost of refactoring, but can lead to overall improvements in code health.
• Lack of communication: Lacking confidence in our own opinions and skills can result in less vital communication occurring, for example, between a programmer and the stakeholders of a project. Communication here does not mean being outgoing or talkative, but rather identifying key concerns and being sufficiently confident in them to advocate change.

The act of programming is an act of communicating our intent, that is, of impressing upon the world, maybe in a small way, the way we believe a thing should work. It is itself a bold action and a skill that we should not take for granted. If you are reading this and are concerned that you may lack specific traits or capabilities, I offer the following advice: nobody on the planet is fully capable. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. It is the diversity of everyone and their varying capabilities that will define the success of a project and code base. Even if you feel a sense of imposter syndrome, acknowledge that it is natural to feel this way and that, in spite of it, you offer more than you might think.