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SELF-FULFILLING PROPHESY

A forecast (see prediction) which, by the very fact that it is stated, has the effect of bringing about what it claims and thereby making it more "true" than it would have been without publication. The implicit self-reference includes the acts of individuals who believe in the truth of the prophesy and are capable of either influencing or interpreting the course of events in the prophecy's domain. The self-referential loop is rarely cognized by the believer. Besides many religious examples, such as miraculous healings, many phenomena, such as ethnic prejudices, teacher's evaluation of student's capabilities, etc. are largely self-fulfilling in this sense (see self-fulfilling hypothesis). (Krippendorff)
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