RESEARCH_FILE
Discounting the Evidence
Discounting is the habit of dismissing objective proof of competence — praise, grades, promotions, publications — so it never updates the self-image. It is core enough to the impostor phenomenon that 'Discount' is one of the three named subscales of the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, alongside 'Fake' and 'Luck'. Compliments are deflected, achievements reclassified as 'not that hard', and standards quietly move so that whatever was just accomplished no longer counts.
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“They're just being nice”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I can accept this without decoding it.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Choose one note, email, or message you already received that felt “too nice.” Copy the exact sentence into a blank note and add only two words beneath it: “thank you.” Close the note and leave it there for a minute.
How it sounds in your head
Your manager says the launch went well because of your work. The script answers before you can: 'She's just being nice — anyone on the team could have done it.' The compliment is deleted before it reaches the ledger, which is why the ledger always reads zero.