Self-fulfilling prophecy

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that, in being made, actually causes itself to become true. For example, in the stock market, if it is widely believed that a crash is imminent, investors may lose confidence, sell most of their stock, and actually cause the crash. Or, if a candidate in an election openly declares he does not believe he can win, this may increase voter apathy and result in poor support for his campaign.

Literature and arts

In literature, self-fulfilling prophecies are often used as plot devices.

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One of the earliest examples of self-fulfilling prophecies in literature is the ancient Greek legend of Oedipus. Warned that his child would one day kill him, Laius abandoned his newborn son Oedipus to die. But Oedipus was instead adopted by a foster family, and kept ignorant of his true origins. When he grew up, Oedipus was warned that he would kill his father and marry his mother. However, believing his foster parents were his real parents, he left his home and travelled Greece, eventually reaching the city where his biological parents lived. There, he got into a fight with a stranger and killed him, and married his widow. Unknown to anyone at the time, the stranger was Oedipus? real father, and the widow he married was his mother. Hence, the prophecy about him had come true because of everyone's attempts to prevent it.

Related Topics:
Ancient Greek - Legend - Oedipus - Laius

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In more recent arts, the plot of the 2005 movie ' was based around a self-fulfilling prophecy. The main character, Anakin Skywalker, has a premonitory dream about the death of his wife Padmé Amidala, and searches for a way to save her. However, his solution is what ends up killing her.

Related Topics:
2005 - Movie - Anakin Skywalker - Premonitory dream - Padmé Amidala

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In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a prophecy was made at Harry Potter?s birth, saying that he would have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. To protect himself, the Dark Lord tried to kill Potter while he was only an infant, but the attempt backfired on him. It transferred some of the Dark Lord?s power to Potter, giving the infant the power the prophecy predicted he would have.

Related Topics:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Harry Potter - Dark Lord

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In the computer game Guild Wars, it is prophesized that some Chosen will destroy a race called "Mursaat". To prevent the prophecies from coming true, the Mursaat and some worshippers, the white mantle, kill as many Chosen as possible. However, a group of heroes see the Chosen being killed, causing them to turn against and eventually destroy the white mantle and Mursaat to prevent more killings from happening.

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