Meeting People Is Impossible
2009-09-10 01:29:59 // The Operator
Tagged: psychology
Social optimists, of course, are in the happy position of expecting to be accepted and finding that, generally speaking, they are. Social pessimists, though, face the dark side of what sociologist Robert K. Merton — who coined the expression ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ — has called a ‘reign of error’. Expectation of rejection leads to the projection of colder, more defensive behaviour towards others, and this leads to actual rejection. “Uh-huh,” mutters the social pessimist, “I knew they wouldn’t like me”.
- The Acceptance Prophecy: How You Control Who Likes You
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