Fake It Til You Make It

"Fake it 'til you make it" (also called "act as if") is a common catchphrase that means to imitate confidence so that as the confidence produces success, it will generate real confidence. The purpose is to avoid getting stuck in a Self-Fulfilling prophecy related to one's fear of not being confident... The phrase is similar to Aristotle's notion that acting virtuous (Virtue) will make one virtuous. The phrase was introduced into modern language in the late twentieth century... It is often recommended as a therapy technique for combating depression. In this case, the idea is to go through the routines of life as if one were enjoying them, despite the fact that initially it feels forced, and continue doing this until the happiness becomes real. This is an example of a Positive Feedback loop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_it_till_you_make_it

On the other hand, a lot of people FakeIt for their whole lives/careers without ever Making It. cf Cargo Cult