Self-fulfilling prophecy

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The '''self-fulfilling prophecy''' is a [[prediction]] about the future that ''ensures'' its own validity, i.e. a [[prophecy]] that causes its own fulfilment.  The subject of the prophecy may fail to act to avoid their [[fate]], or their attempt to change the future may backfire.  This does not stop [[fundamentalism|some people]] from using such prophecies as proof of [[God]]. 

Self-fulfilling prophecies form a prominent part of some ancient stories, like that of Oedipus, an infant prince prophesied to one day kill his father and [[Incest|marry his mother]].  His parents, eager to avoid this grim future, attempted to kill their [[child]], but he survived and was raised in another land &mdash; thus ensuring that he would grow up a stranger to them, making it all the easier for the grown Oedipus to kill a rude stranger on the road and marry the man's widow.

Self-fulfilling prophecies are present in daily life today, as well. It is not uncommon for underprivileged children to be viewed as part of a [[criminal]] element, which limits their opportunities and makes it more likely they will be forced into petty crime.

==Other examples==
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*When people of a particular [[racial]] or ethnic background are assumed to be "naturally" good at a particular activity, individuals from those backgrounds are likely to be encouraged to pursue that activity. For example, because blacks are assumed to be more likely to be gifted [[sports|athletes]] than their more [[Caucasian|pale]] co-citizens, black youth may be more encouraged to run track or play basketball than to join the [[math]] club; with more black people being funneled into athletics programs, it will appear that they are somehow suited for sports. [[Neil deGrasse Tyson]], as an example, recalls being urged by a '''professor''' to pursue being a basketball player.<ref>[http://billmoyers.com/2014/01/10/book-excerpt-the-sky-is-not-the-limit/ excerpt from The Sky is Not the Limit]</ref> This is also related to [[Stereotype#Stereotype threat|stereotype threat]], a theory in the field of social [[psychology]] developed by Claude Steele and Joshua Aronson in 1995.
*Gloomy predictions about [[politics]] can instill a sense of despair at inevitable corruption in an electorate, rendering them apathetic and inattentive — and allowing the corrupt to prosper. Likewise, a feeling of doom about the [[environment]] may inspire the young to feel that destruction and waste is unstoppable, and that efforts at conservation are useless.  
*When the [[media]] reports the [[economics|economy]] doing poorly, this causes the population to lose confidence in the market, thus creating the prophesied [[Recession|economic downturn]].
*An individual suffering from depression may feel incapable of succeeding, and thus not bother even trying. This will likely aggravate the depression, in a vicious circle.
*Slogans like "There are no girls on the [[Internet]]" are often taken as self-fulfilling prophecies, as the lack of openly active women in many online forums causes a treehouse mentality among the male members that in turn leads them to ostracise any women who attempt to become active.
*Hype surrounding a [[apocalypse|fictional upcoming crisis]] can often cause panics that precipitate the problems the [[apocalyptic]] predictions mention. These can drive people to despair and, in [[2012 apocalypse|extreme cases]], [[suicide]], meaning that their effects can be very real — even if only a in self-fulfilling way.
*[[Right-wingers]] who claim the [[government]] is always inefficient or [[Reaganism|just bad]], and then decrease [[taxes]] without correspondingly decreasing spending by enough, which means the government receives less revenue and doesn't operate as well.<ref>See our article on [[small government]].</ref>
*[[Religious]] [[fundamentalist]]s or [[authoritarian]]s who claim society needs strict, harsh laws to maintain order. This leads to their followers [[moral panic|panicking]] if any of these laws are removed or "loosened up" on, creating [[chaos]] around "issues" that probably would have gone largely unnoticed if said leaders hadn't put said law(s) in place or defended them as vehemently as they had.
* [[Social degeneration|Declinist narratives]] - warnings that society, politics, or the environment are doomed - can create despair or panic, making the predicted decline more likely to happen.

==See also==
*[[Placebo effect]]
*[[Confirmation bias]]

==External links==
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_feedback Positive feedback]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Social degeneration]]

Categories: Psychology, Social degeneration