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There's an interesting phenomenon in classrooms.
In an experiment, teachers were given new groups of students. They were given a supposed list of the student's aptitudes (all manufactured, as it turns out). They were then to teach those students in front of an observer.
Unbeknownst to the teachers, the observers were timing them, watching to see how long the teachers gave each student to answer.
The results? Consistently, the teachers gave the "smart students" more time to answer. The "slow students" were rushed, and not given a chance to think things through.
Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. The "slow" students didn't do as well because of the teachers’ expectations.
But as one scholar put it: It's not teachers' expectations that predict success; it's students' perceptions of teachers' expectations.
Now, to tell the truth, I'm not a hundred percent comfortable with the so-called "Law of Attraction." Yes, I think positive thinking has its place; but no, I don't think it can bend the laws of space, time, and economics.
Nevertheless, I do believe that expectation affects outcome in many, many cases.
So yes: be positive. Believe, and you are likely to receive more than you might have otherwise. Expect the best.
You'll be happy-er!
Actionable: How can you stop being so hard on others and "expect the best" from them?
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