Crossroads of Destiny: Belief and Future

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: How Your Beliefs Shape Reality

Samir D’Costa in Mind & Education December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the power of self-fulfilling prophecies and how they influence your life, relationships, and success. Learn how to break free from negative cycles and create a positive future."

From the earliest days of psychoanalysis, the question of truth has been central. Freud had to move beyond seeing hysteria as mere theatrics, recognizing it as a genuine psychological condition. He also needed to look past his patients' narratives and consider the crucial role of fantasy in causing neuroses.

Lacan pointed out Freud’s fascination with 'truth' and argued that Freud actually wandered into the realm of delirium in this pursuit. Lacan located truth in what Freud termed the 'pathogenic nucleus' – the core that needs to be accessed to understand the meaning of symptoms. For Lacan, truth is linked to enjoyment; both stem from the signifier and are tied to the symptom. They are determined by how the individual interprets the events contributing to their suffering.

To explore the nature of truth and its effects, we'll examine the self-fulfilling prophecy, as described by sociologist Robert Merton, along with the Pygmalion effect. These phenomena show how truth, instead of being a static thing to uncover, follows a two-step logic. Truth isn't predetermined; it arises from what is said. Saying, rather than predicting, demands fulfillment, a realization.

The Mechanics of a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Crossroads of Destiny: Belief and Future

Robert Merton's theory of the self-fulfilling prophecy starts with a theorem from sociologist W. I. Thomas: 'If individuals define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.' Merton explains that this means people primarily respond to their understanding of a situation, not just the objective facts. Therefore, behavior is largely shaped by the meaning people assign to events.

Merton illustrates this with the example of the Last National Bank in 1932. A rumor spread that the bank was insolvent, causing depositors to rush to withdraw their money to protect their savings. This rush, in turn, led to the very insolvency they feared.

The bank's stability depended on the shared belief in its financial soundness.
Once depositors began to doubt, their actions created a new reality.
The initially 'unreal' definition of the situation became very real.

Merton summarizes this with a parable: public definitions or predictions become part of the situation and influence subsequent events. While predicting Halley's Comet doesn't alter its orbit, rumors about a bank's insolvency can lead to its actual failure. The prophecy of bankruptcy leads to its fulfillment.

Beyond Truth: The Power of Interpretation

Freud consistently highlighted the unconscious desire and the superego's role in shaping a person's life. Instead of divine intervention or fate, Freud pointed to the inevitability of human vulnerability and confusion. Lacan would say that there is no future guarantee, only chance and the individual's psychological causation, because the Other lacks all the answers.

In psychoanalysis, as Lacan emphasizes, 'The desire of man is the desire of the Other.' A mother’s anxieties can become a self-fulfilling prophecy for her child. It's not just about the words spoken, but how the child interprets and embodies that 'order' as desire, often veiled by love.

Ultimately, understanding self-fulfilling prophecies and their psychological underpinnings empowers us to rewrite our personal narratives. By recognizing the power of our beliefs and interpretations, we can break free from negative cycles, challenge limiting expectations, and create a future aligned with our authentic desires.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.15446/djf.n16.58154, Alternate LINK

Title: Profecía Autocumplida O Los Dos Tiempos De La Verdad

Subject: General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Journal: Desde el Jardín de Freud

Publisher: Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Authors: David Andrés Vargas Castro

Published: 2016-06-27

Everything You Need To Know

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy and how does it work?

The self-fulfilling prophecy, as defined by Robert Merton, begins with a definition or prediction, which then becomes part of the situation and subsequently influences events. It's a two-step logic where the initial statement shapes the reality. For example, in the case of the Last National Bank, the rumor of insolvency, initially an 'unreal' definition, led to actions (withdrawals) that caused the bank's failure, thereby fulfilling the prophecy.

Why is the self-fulfilling prophecy significant?

The concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy is crucial because it highlights how our beliefs and interpretations of situations, rather than objective facts, significantly shape our behavior and outcomes. Merton's example of the Last National Bank illustrates that if people believe something to be true (the bank is insolvent), their actions based on that belief (withdrawing funds) can make it true. This emphasizes that understanding how our perceptions influence our reality is essential for personal growth and positive change.

What are the implications of self-fulfilling prophecies?

In the context, the implications of the self-fulfilling prophecy are far-reaching. It suggests that our assumptions and predictions about ourselves, our relationships, or our circumstances can become self-fulfilling. If one believes they will fail, they may act in ways that increase the likelihood of failure. Conversely, positive beliefs can foster actions that lead to success. This understanding is key to breaking negative cycles and creating a more positive future, as it shifts the focus from external fate to the power of our internal interpretations.

How does Freud and Lacan's understanding of truth relate to the concept of self-fulfilling prophecies?

Freud's work, especially when viewed through Lacan's lens, connects to the self-fulfilling prophecy by highlighting the power of interpretation and the role of the unconscious. Freud emphasized the significance of the unconscious desire and the superego, and Lacan linked truth to enjoyment and the 'pathogenic nucleus,' suggesting that how an individual interprets events impacts their experience and reality. These interpretations, like the initial definitions in a self-fulfilling prophecy, can profoundly influence behavior and outcomes.

How does the Pygmalion effect connect to the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy?

The Pygmalion effect, though not explicitly detailed, relates to the self-fulfilling prophecy. Both demonstrate how expectations can become self-fulfilling. While Merton focused on societal impacts, the Pygmalion effect likely involves expectations in interpersonal contexts, such as a teacher's expectations of a student's performance. If a teacher believes a student is capable, they may treat them in ways that encourage success, thereby fulfilling the teacher's initial belief. This underscores the profound impact of our beliefs and how they shape our interactions and realities.