In a world where success often hinges on performance and potential, the power of expectations cannot be overstated.
We often underestimate how profoundly our beliefs about ourselves and others can shape reality.
While we may think our abilities and those of others are fixed, the truth is far more dynamic and influenced by perception.
What we need to understand is the remarkable phenomenon known as the Pygmalion Effect.
Once you understand this idea you will see it everywhere - in ever success and every failure.
Let’s first understand the pygmalion effect with a short parable -
The Seed of Expectation: A Parable of the Pygmalion Effect
In a small village, there lived two farmers, Eli and Zara. Each spring, they would plant their crops side by side. One year, a traveling merchant came to their village, claiming to have magic seeds that would grow into the most bountiful plants the farmers had ever seen.
The merchant gave each farmer a handful of these seeds. Eli, ever the skeptic, scoffed at the idea of magic seeds. "These are just ordinary seeds," he muttered as he planted them in a corner of his field, paying them little attention.
Zara, however, was filled with excitement. She carefully prepared a special plot for the seeds, tending to them daily with great care and anticipation. She would often be heard whispering encouragement to the tiny sprouts as they emerged.
As the growing season progressed, both farmers tended their fields as usual. But Zara spent extra time nurturing her "magic" plants, ensuring they had the best soil, water, and sunlight. She would invite neighbors to admire the growing plants, proudly proclaiming how special they were.
Eli, on the other hand, treated his "magic" seeds just like the rest of his crop, occasionally glancing at them with mild curiosity but little expectation.
When harvest time came, the village was astounded. Zara's magic seeds had indeed produced the most magnificent plants anyone had ever seen, with fruits larger and more flavorful than any in memory. Eli's plants, however, were indistinguishable from the rest of his ordinary crop.
The old village sage smiled knowingly. "The true magic," he said, "was not in the seeds, which were the same for both farmers. The magic was in Zara's belief and expectation. Her faith in the seeds' potential inspired her to nurture them with extra care, and in doing so, she allowed them to reach their full potential."
Eli nodded thoughtfully, finally understanding. The seeds had been ordinary, but Zara's extraordinary expectations had created an extraordinary outcome.
From that day on, the farmers of the village learned to approach each seed, each crop, and indeed each task in life with positive expectation and devoted care, knowing that their belief in potential could help make that potential a reality.
What is the Pygmalion Effect?
Named after the Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he created, the Pygmalion Effect describes how our expectations of others can influence their performance and behavior. In essence, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy where our beliefs about someone's capabilities can actually shape their outcomes.
Why It Matters
Understanding the Pygmalion Effect can be transformative in every aspect of your life:
Leadership
Education
Parenting
Personal Growth
The Flip Side: The Golem Effect
It's crucial to note the opposite of the Pygmalion Effect: the Golem Effect. This occurs when low expectations lead to decreased performance. Being aware of this can help us avoid unintentionally limiting others or ourselves.
Here’s something to think about today -
How much of the successes in your life are a result of someone else, at some point, believing in you that you could do it?
The Pygmalion Effect - AI Prompt
I’ve designed a prompt that you can use with any AI chatbot like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and use it to apply Pygmalion effect to any aspect of your life.
This is especially useful if you’re a teacher, parent, coach or leader who is responsible for motivating someone else.
Use this prompt - enter your specific situation and it will give you directions on how to apply the pygmalion effect positively in your life.
I’ve included an example of how I am using it myself.
Just copy the prompt from the Notion page above, and paste it into a an AI chatbot, enter your specific details and hit enter.
And see the magic!
Further Reading
From the Archives
3 interesting posts from The Wisdom Project archives -
Last weeks top link -
🤗 How can we help?
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help you -
Learn the top ideas, notes and summaries from the best personal development books in the world - Get the keys to wisdom
Make better decisions in the areas that matter - Health, wealth, and relationships - Get the mental models for busy professionals
Everything you need, to build life changing habits - The Toolkit for Atomic Habits
Quit your job and build a profitable business on your own terms. Get feedback, support, mentorship, connections, courses and lots more. - Join the tiny community for your big dreams.
That’s it for today.
See you next week 👋
We’ll be back with more interesting notes, highlights and curations.
Cheers,
Ayush & Aditi