Psychology

» redback - To Lose La Trek

That 'self-fulfilling prophesies' is only intended for use related to negative outcomes, seems based on one(?) definition of the term. IMO, it seems to fly in the face of all the self motivational mantras. So, the term gets a negative focus ergo meets its own self fulfilling prophesy?

I like the term 'setting yourself up to fail' as an alternative but this is not all self inflicted. I had a boss..a senior executive who set junior staff up for failure. Nope...this was not simple skills testing but a malicious strategy where the only accepted outcome was that staff member's failure. Me, I was the boss of a staff support team with a highly qualified psychologist (Masters in Counselling) on board and was frequently expected to be the unwitting accomplice.

So, in these days of an imbalance of power between employer and employee, my advice is for an employee to check the motives behind the manager's direction to perform a contentious task.

I don't think many wake up with the intention of 'losing'. There can be unfair pressure to do something or be seen to do something..and that can lead to the "challenges" of self fulfilling prophesies et al. Sometimes doing nothing can be the 'courageous' something that is needed. But I'm reminded of the mantra: "Something must be done, this is something therefore it must be done."

Another definition (of insanity) attributed to Albert Einstein, springs to mind: "To keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting change, is insanity." If we don't modify our behaviour and actions even in small strategical ways, what profound hope (crikey or even miracle) are we pinning our dreams of success on?

Let's not dwell on failure. Maybe it's only a learning experience your God didn't want to deprive you of. And maybe it only reflects a delayed win.

-- posted by redback