Study: Thinking of Yourself as a Failure is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
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A new interesting study conducted in Japan suggests that we should be less critical of ourselves. Thinking of yourself as a failure means increasing the likelihood that you will actually achieve nothing.
Scientists from Shinshu University have found that when we hold negative beliefs about ourselves (for example, saying: “I am a failure”), these thoughts tend to self-reproduce and affect future self-perception. In other words, negative thoughts about themselves can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The researchers conducted an experiment with students. The students believed they were being tested on a new machine learning model that assesses personality traits. After each question of a fake psychological test, the participants received feedback about their personality traits, behavioral tendencies, and future prospects.
The participants were then asked to rate how true they thought this feedback was. According to the researchers, people who already see themselves in a negative light are more likely to recall the negative feedback because it is consistent with their established self-perception.
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