Marilyn Monroe Was a Voracious Reader, Despite Her Near-Debilitating Imposter Syndrome
Marilyn Monroe's literary pursuits were a means to combat her feelings of inadequacy and impostor syndrome. Despite her fame, she struggled with self-doubt due to a lack of support from family and partners. Her relationships often exacerbated these feelings, particularly with her husband Arthur Miller, whose doubts about her intelligence deeply affected her self-worth.
- ▪Marilyn Monroe faced significant self-doubt due to a lack of supportive relationships in her life.
- ▪Her reading and literary interests were efforts to overcome perceived inadequacies.
- ▪Monroe's marriage to Arthur Miller contributed to her feelings of inferiority when she discovered his doubts about her intelligence.
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If someone tells you that you are stupid and dumb enough times, chances are you will start to believe it. If you are someone with no stable and loving family to fall back on, or no partner who believes in you, or no close friends who are in your corner, your self-worth relies entirely on the strength of your self-belief. This can be difficult to sustain, and it is understandable that some form of self-doubt would begin to creep in. Why is impostor syndrome an important point to consider when thinking about the literary life of Marilyn Monroe? The answer is that Marilyn’s reading formed a concerted effort to overcome any inadequacies she perceived in her-self. She strove for progressive self-betterment with an engaged and inquisitive mind.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Literary Hub.
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