The definition of s self-fulfilling prophecy is quite simple: our beliefs about others (or ourselves) lead us to treat them in such a way that they later become exactly what we expect them to be.
This not only applies to the behavior of others, but extends to ourselves and what we tend to believe about our future, our abilities and our skills. Self-fulfilling prophecies can be efficacious or it can be detrimental. It all depends on what we choose to believe.
The focus of this article will be on:
- What a self-fulfilling prophecy is
- Other psychological factors at play
- How you can use it to your advantage
Understanding What a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy is
A self-fulfilling prophecy is the manifestation of a belief or expectation that an individual holds (Ackerman, 2018). It manifests because the individual will unconsciously work to affirm their belief or expectation.
One of the oldest indications of a self-fulfilling prophecy is the story of Oedipus who killed his own father and married his mother. His father, Laius, was told that he would be killed by his son. He therefore abandoned Oedipus and left him to die.
Oedipus was then raised by foster parents assuming they were his real parents. One day he was met with a dire warning – that he would end up killing his father and marrying his widowed mother.
To avoid this from happening he runs away from his foster parents and heads off to the city. There he meets a stranger, ends up in a fight with him and kills him. He proceeds to marry the stranger’s widow.
Only later he finds out that the stranger was his real father and the woman he married was his real mother. By trying to avoid fate, both ended up manifesting their prophecies.
Psychological Mechanisms at Play
However, there are other psychological mechanisms at play when it comes to self-fulfilling prophecies. Sometimes our manifestations are a result of confirmation biases.
A confirmation bias is having a tendency to only view evidence that confirms your existing beliefs or theories. This is something that happens to most people, if not everyone.
An example of this is holding the belief that blond girls are less intelligent than dark-headed girls. Whenever this individual encounter a blond girl that made a silly error, they place greater importance on this “evidence” that is in support of their existing belief.
Holding this belief ultimately leads individuals to treating blond girls in a certain way to make them out to be “dumb” or “dilly”. The same can be applied to any other beliefs we have.
We only look at supporting evidence to confirm our beliefs and then behave in such a way that our circumstances become exactly what we expected them to be or become.
This is also called the Pygmalion effect: where our expectations of others have an impact on our behavior, thoughts and feelings toward them. It is a type of self-fulfilling prophecy that involves interpersonal processes.
The Power of Positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
This begs the question – how can we have self-fulfilling prophecies work to our advantage? This might seem like a cliché but positive beliefs shape our actions and attitudes.
Just like holding negative beliefs about yourself can influence your behavior in such a way that you become what you expected, so can positive beliefs do the same.
If you hold the belief that you will do well in a test or at your new job you will most likely:
- Put in more effort
- Rebound better from adversity
- Have better concentration for the task at hand and
- Be more relaxed while at work or during the test
The cyclical nature of negative self-fulfilling prophecies can be detrimental to our mental health. It can have a devastating effect on the development and deepening of depression and anxiety.
Alternatively, positive self-fulfilling prophecies can be advantageous as it enhances performance and confidence. Studies have shown that athletes and other performers who hold positive expectations tend to outperform those with negative expectations.
Using the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy to Your Advantage
There are various ways in which you can use a self-fulfilling prophecy to your advantage:
- Identifying and Challenging Negative Beliefs
- Utilizing Affirmations and Visualization Techniques
- Cultivating a Positive Mindset
- Setting Realistic Goals and Action Plans
- Be aware when using negative self-talk
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