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Self-fulfilling Prophecy

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction or expectation that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true due to the belief and behavior of the person holding the expectation. In other words, a person's belief influences their actions in a way that tends to make the belief come true.

  • In education, if a teacher believes a student is less capable, they may give the student less attention or lower expectations, leading to poorer performance from the student.
  • In relationships, if a person believes their partner will leave them, they may become clingy or suspicious, driving them away and causing the breakup they feared.
  • In the stock market, if many investors believe a stock will rise, they may buy more, causing the price to increase due to increased demand.