Self Fulfilling Prophecy

This term was used in the speech contest at my club yesterday and I am spurred on to read more about it. 

There are 2 important self fulfilling prophecy theories ,both are premised on the power of expectations .

While the Pygmalion effect is based on people's  expectation of others , the Galatea effect is rooted in self expectation . It can be said that people believing in other people's capability  or  an idividual believing about  oneself works .

  Galatea effect 
What one can accomplish is really driven by what one thinks one can. The person has a strong sense of worth , has faith in his /her own capabilities , sets high goals and is highly motivated to perform well . He / she is optimistic and the positively biased optimism thus creates an upward spiral in terms of zest , energy ,drive ,  confidence and a whole lot of other attritbutes  needed for achieving  the desired outcomes.

It can easily be imagined that if such individual were  to receive further encouragement / praises from people around him/her , it would do wonders to his/her performance . 

Pygmalion Effect (Rosenthal Effect ) 
This is a phenomenon in which the higher the expectation placed on people , the better  is their performance .

The original study of this effect was in the context of teacher's expectations of students . It was observed that students who were expected to do well ACTUALLY performed well while those who were not expected to perform well did not .

If high expectation is placed on people  and if this expectation is  conveyed   clearly  , he/she will strive to live up to the expectation.   

Golem Effect 
This is the opposite to the above . It happens when a superior's prejudices or negative impressions are communicated , even in the most subtle manner ,will lead to poorer performance by the individual .

To me , the horse is a mystical creature, a nomadic prey animal that has a primal defense system. Even in the sweltering heat of summer, my friend and I have to coax and to a certain extent , forced her horse into drinking , to stay hydrated but it was totally uncoperative. No amount of coaxing and sweet talking could sway its 'decision'; it would drink when it was good and ready. Based on the experience, I am convinced that one  can't force a horse to drink.

More generally,the proverb is used in the senses of " there's only so much you can do" or "people will do what they want to do " or " you can't help people who dont want to be helped"

As well intended as we are in helping others, whether in creating opportunities or opening the door for them , we have to bear in mind that the choice to grab the opportunity has to be their own . Do not convince against his will for he would still be of the same opinion and worse still if he becomes resentful about being pursuaded against his will.

Give help to others but do not expect too much ,it only adds to our suffering and frustration. Expectation is the root of heartaches.

Everyday is a learning day and honestly , it terrifies me that there are so much I do not know .But not feeling that I have to know everything helps, all I need to do is to always maintain the attitude of a student. This way , I can keep on learning.

“Beauty is not always an outward show of things “
I am no gourmet but the true essence of gourmet food , its pure & refined ingredients , does captivate me.
Almost immediately , the aesthetically unappealing truffle springs to my mind . I have not tasted one yet , just read about them and someone I know just had them for the first time . It seems that no one is immune to the seductive powers of the truffle , my friend swore that eating the round warty “ fruit of the earth” is a culinary experience and the distinctive taste has held hostage his palate instantly . His description of the fruit conjures images of something that embodies class & sophistication. .
As physically unappealing as truffle may appear to be , this is testament that ‘ beauty ‘ often come in hidden packages

Paradox

My question is -are the drawings done on the same scale ?
The Americans look smaller when they should be bigger, perhaps they evolved from smaller primates comparatively ?

The trend in the Europeans is a more accurate  representation. From apes to upright bi-pedals , the  changes took place in several gradual stages before men are bent again , this time towards the rectangular screen. If the trend continues , what would become of us ? Reverting into the original ape state ? Then the cycle of evolution will have come a full circle and be complete.

Japan is already the undisputed robot powerhouse. The logical next step is robots in every aspect of life.  We wont be able to tell a real Jap from the humanoid with human like  intelligience.

When you throw dirt , you lose ground

The rise of social media has made it easy for us to take to the web and share our opinion about anyone and anything. Quite often the opinions are deliberate attack or dirt throwing .

We have nothing to gain by doing this to others. It may make us feel good in that moment  but this can always backfire at us .

It happens all the time. when we dont like or having  grievances with someone, we turn on our negative energy , lose our civility  and we start to complain, condemn ,criticise..... Often we are unaware that these actions only make us look petty , disrespectful vengeful , desperate and in fact plain ugly!  The negative comments that we hurl on others not only depreciate their reputation  but ours as well. What if the other party unleash a mudslide in our direction ? 

If we are being honest, we are probably all guilty of gossiping from time to time. Gossip is part of the fabric of communication and its fun ! But gossip has the potential of  being hurtful too . And there is nothing more frustrating than a malicious story that bears no relation to the truth making its way through the grapevine . But gossiping doesnt just harm the victim, the gossiper gets it too. Once  a person is known to be a gossiper , people will start to think twice about trusting him/ her.

"When you throw dirt at someone , you almost always get some on yourself. "  Wouldnt it be good  if   politicians  can abide by this ?