Very often, the outcomes of events that occur in a person's life are the product of the idea of ​​the self-fulfilling prophecy. It is what “occurs when a person's expectations about an event make the outcome more likely to occur than would otherwise have been true” (Adler and Towne, Looking Out, Looking In 66). Or reiterated, as Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can do it, you can do it. If you think you can't do it, you're right!” This short research paper touches on the two types of self-fulfilling prophecies, those that are self-imposed and those that are imposed by others. Furthermore, it provides a discussion of how great an influence it is in each person's life, both positively and negatively, and how it consequently helps shape one's self-concept and ultimately oneself. The first topic of discussion is self-imposition, or self-inflicted, self-fulfilling prophecy. From this idea it follows that if one has a preconception or notion of an outcome, then that person is likely to increase the chance of achieving it. Let's take for example these concrete cases that Channing Grigsby, self-esteem teacher, talks about: "I can't handle it." And guess what? We don't handle it well. If I tell myself that I won't have fun at the party I'm going to, I'm likely to behave in ways that generate exactly that reality, eliciting indifferent responses from others, proving my premise. (“A Course in Self-Esteem” 5) Furthermore, and antithetically, consider the example of the student who studies for a math test the following morning and believes that because he is studying and has a good working knowledge of the subject area, that he will do well on the test and will do it the following morning. Compared to another student who does the same but is less prepared and knowledgeable in the area and also thinks he will fail and will, he performed better due to his positive expectations and preparation. Take a moment to reconsider including the idea of ​​preparation in the example. Here preparation is an equally important factor to consider because it is a variable that can far outweigh the influence of the self-fulfilling prophecy. The other student who didn't prepare well and didn't know the material well would still fail, despite any major preconceived thoughts he or she might have had. In this case, why the concept...... middle of paper ......pment. And for this to happen, it is absolutely essential that as a collective, as a body, as a society, as a people, we find a certain degree of understanding. In this way individuals can have a better understanding of their own internal, emotional and psychological processes, as well as those of others. And with that, a mutual understanding that helps foster community and better physical, mental, social and spiritual health. Works Cited Adler, Ronald B., and Neil Towne. Look outside, look inside. USA: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1999. Bidwell, Lee D. Millar and Brenda J. Vander Mey. Sociology of the family: investigating family problems. MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Bushman, Brad J., Roy F. Baumeister, and Angela D. Stack. “Cathharsis, aggression, and persuasive influence: self-fulfilling or self-destructing prophecies.” Online publication. July 17, 2001 .Grigsby, Channing. “A Course in Self-Esteem: 5. Sources of Low Self-Esteem.” Online publication. July 17, 2001. “Self-Fulfilling.” definitely 2. Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 1997.