"Killing" Impostor Syndrome | Kristo Immanuel | TEDxUniversitasIndonesia

Quick Overview

The speaker, Kristo Immanuel, details his journey overcoming Impostor Syndrome, which manifested as a feeling of inadequacy despite early success in filmmaking, including winning an award at 18 and later directing a feature film, by actively seeking external validation and then learning to reframe negative self-talk through professional support.

Key Points: Kristo Immanuel began his filmmaking journey by winning an award for a short film at age 18. His first feature film, "Tinggal Meninggal," premiered in cinemas on August 14th and later on Netflix, garnering a small but dedicated audience. Early in his career, he experienced Impostor Syndrome, feeling like his success was luck rather than skill, and struggled to accept compliments from his peers, including those from his co-writer/director wife and producer Ernest Prakasa. He explicitly mentions the feeling of inadequacy was comparable to the character in the movie "Tarzan" feeling out of place, a feeling that persisted when he moved to Jakarta to study film at the University of Indonesia (UI). The speaker realized his Impostor Syndrome was triggered by external validation being perceived as undeserved, leading him to reject praise, and he actively worked to challenge this by seeking professional help. The key realization came after therapy when he understood that his negative self-talk was not factual, leading him to stop seeking external validation for his achievements. He encourages the audience to challenge their own internal narratives, noting that the journey to self-understanding is complex but achievable.

Context: This is a TEDx talk delivered by Kristo Immanuel at TEDxUniversitasIndonesia, where he shares a personal story about grappling with and ultimately overcoming Impostor Syndrome throughout his career as a filmmaker and content creator. He contrasts his early successes, like winning an award at 18 and directing a feature film, with the persistent internal feeling that he did not deserve his achievements, which he eventually addressed through therapy and self-reflection.