Yesterday, I wrote about being caught in the devil's snare. Today, I want to write about the flip-side of it, which is on a much more positive note.
The technical term for it is Pygmalion effect. But the definition of Pygmalion effect makes the whole idea sound so transactional. The definition is that when we know that someone expects us to achieve certain goals or perform at a certain level, we actually end up doing it.
While this is true at a transactional level for the short-term, I'm far more interested in a similar effect over the longer-term.
There is an idiom that goes 'behind every successful man, there stands a woman'. This became popular early in the previous century and then grew to be a cliche and has since fallen in its usage. While this merely meant that successful men had their wives supporting them in achieving their success, a comparable effect continues to exist today and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
When someone we care about really believes in us, thinks of us highly and holds us to a high standard, there is no greater motivation than the desire to prove them right and to live up to their expectations and standards, and there is no greater despair than failing to do so, knowing we could have done better.
Find someone that truly believes in you and holds you to a high standard. Every morning, look at the mirror through their eyes. And before you know it, you will be giving your all to meet it.
The technical term for it is Pygmalion effect. But the definition of Pygmalion effect makes the whole idea sound so transactional. The definition is that when we know that someone expects us to achieve certain goals or perform at a certain level, we actually end up doing it.
While this is true at a transactional level for the short-term, I'm far more interested in a similar effect over the longer-term.
There is an idiom that goes 'behind every successful man, there stands a woman'. This became popular early in the previous century and then grew to be a cliche and has since fallen in its usage. While this merely meant that successful men had their wives supporting them in achieving their success, a comparable effect continues to exist today and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
When someone we care about really believes in us, thinks of us highly and holds us to a high standard, there is no greater motivation than the desire to prove them right and to live up to their expectations and standards, and there is no greater despair than failing to do so, knowing we could have done better.
Find someone that truly believes in you and holds you to a high standard. Every morning, look at the mirror through their eyes. And before you know it, you will be giving your all to meet it.
CONVERSATION