| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 11/20/2006 8:06:31 PM | When browsing through a thread on astrology some time ago, I read a remark that astrology becomes "self-fulfilling prophecy" for some -- e.g. people read that their personality is supposed to be like something, then act that way thinking that it's their "true" personality.
But, could this be a good thing?
We all start off as pretty much blank slates. We may have certain natural predispositions to certain behaviours, but nearly all of that can be overcome. Those parts of our personality that we deliberately CHOOSE to develop are largely based on what we think we are in fact "supposed" to act like.
We can use any generalization ("predjudice"? "stereotype"?) -- be it birthday, hair color, birth year, nationality, income ad nauseum. But might this help? If you go through life experimenting with different personality traits and behaviour only to come to the conclusion that "I don't know who I am", might it have been easier to start off with a sense of direction? Wouldn't someone get farther in developing their personality if they start off with something specific to focus on? | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 11/21/2006 8:53:59 AM | I really thank that people of substance, those that stand for things and are unwavering, are in danger of being extinct. We live in an era of politicians flip-flopping to fit what the standard of thinking is at the moment...They're for something, but ONLY if everyone else is...If they conduct a survey and find that everyone is against it, they change on a dime.
I think we've become a society of drive-thru decisions...Our youth look to Hollywood to tell them how to live, vote, dress, family plan, ect. I keep on thinking of the young actress who was adamant everyone vote for a certain canadate, then when asked some questions about his position by a journalist, she was dumbfounded.
I may not always agree with the masses, but atleast I know that I have substance and don't just believe blindly what someone tells me.
I look foward to a day when people stand on their own beliefs and don't sway like palm branches in a hurricane. | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 4:32:14 AM | | I have been told I have one. The fact is when i say something, I mean it whether it's right or wrong. I do that because I do not want to be a hypocrite. for example if I said i was going to stop eating tomatoes and I have to stop eating them even if I like them because I said I have to. It's stupid but I have to take it seriously. Like I hate clubs and parties, I will never step foot in one again because I hate them. | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 12:54:44 PM | | Astrology, the Enniagram, Personality Typing, and other related tools used to help one understand their predispositions are only that. They are not meant to say "well, you’re this way so act it". They are tools and nothing more. They are meant to help you understand you and what you’re probably like just in case you’re too stupid to understand yourself. (Not that your stupid, Just a general too stupid). | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 1:02:17 PM | I remember responding to a post on this topic a couple months ago.
I suggested that astrological popularity is due to its being vague and nonspecific, but providing hints that could be interpreted as "helpful" to the reader when confronted with difficult decisions.
Much of the advice will sound "specific" because we tend to have similar situational and behavior patterns in our day to day activities.
Personality typing is not a related decision tool that I would lump with horoscopes. There is a great deal of supportive science (psychology) behind it. | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 5:54:37 PM | I think it should be differentiated in what we're talking about as far as astrology. If OP is talking about reading the little blurbs in most newspapers then we're talking about crap. There are however people that can do things like create natal charts that are very specific to each individual and there are many cultures that use such natal charts to make important decisions in life. As far as daily readings I do like Rob Brezsny at www.freewillastrology.com to be pretty good and very funny.
It makes perfect sense to me that the time, place and position of the planets can predispose us to certain traits, just as the moon can affect the levels of the ocean. I don't believe that science per se has the market cornered on all that is. Again, I don't think this means we are destined to be or act in certain ways or to be with people of a certain sign
The Enneagram is an old personality typing tool that was formalized in later years by several people most notably Oscar Ichazo and George Gurdjieff and predates psychological studies.
I find these systems to be broader in scope than straight modern personality typing. | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 6:10:40 PM | They could get farther unless they started in the wrong direction and wasted time undoing their mistakes. Then they would be way behind. I am sort of amused by the idea tha people would bother to think of developing their personalities when so few have one. Oops, my inner snob typed that. I need to work on my personality some more.
I find that people invent themselves when they are teenagers. It sets them on a track and they pretty much wind up where that track leads. It's only when people question it all that they see other directions, or notice if they are started out wrong.
The idea one has about oneself as they develop certainly does affect who they become, for better or worse. Like other apsects of experience, we percieve ourselves according to our ideas. Change the idea and you change the perception. We are who we are because we think of ourselves a certain way.
Religions show us this by providing rituals to step through our routine sense of self, to glimpse the world beyond our normal view, and to look inward as well, free from preconceptions. The prophecies are self-fulfilling, but we are the authors of our own prophecies. | |
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KessM
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Joined: 3/24/2006
Msg: 8 | |
| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 7:36:11 PM | | has anyone ever read an astrology profile that suggested bad personailty traits? like "your an abusive jerk who hurts everyone you come in contact with"? they are always vague...saying you have these tendencies...so? we all have tendencies to do certain things and we choose to do them or not. its about choice and i dont need someone (i.e. an astrologer's advice) to tell me what choices to make or what i should be prone to make... the best they can offer is maybe some self-awareness. i.e. Leos normally do this...so then i think do i do this? is it a good thing or a bad thing? should i continue doing this? it seems more like some dramatic and amusing psychology than some pigeon-hole i should guide my life by...do what you want with the information... | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 8:07:34 PM | | Astrology is entertainment, nothing more. I used to enjoy reading the daily horoscope to my Uncle Bob and getting a laugh out of it when he was living with us. Once in a great while I will get a horoscope thing based on my birth date, and it's fun reading. I certainly take it with a grain of salt and a chuckle. For example, they say Librans make good lawyers. I know I would be a crummy one because I am terrible at debating and coming up with quick retorts. | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/14/2006 10:20:23 PM | has anyone ever read an astrology profile that suggested bad personailty traits?
Absolutely though not in the way you described it. If you get a "real" natal chart done they will say things like "you will have several unsuccessful marriages" or "because of your need to control situations you will find yourself lacking real power" etc.
Again, it's not meant to say "this is who you are" but rather "this is what your tendencies are". Also again, the crap in the local paper is just that. Going to a real astrologer is way different. The stuff in the papers is meant for entertainment, with the exception of Rob, which is entertaining anyway.
The Enneagram in particular goes a long way to give it to you straight as far as telling you what the stuff you don't want to look at is.
http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
In my way of looking at things, especially personal growth, the more tools I have the more choices I have. Of course there is also discernment as to what tools are worth it and what aren't.
Focusing on one thing in life sounds like an awefully stiff way to go about things. As it has been said, that which does not bend breaks. | |
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| Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Posted: 12/15/2006 5:03:12 AM | dsigning woman: what do you think debate means, all you have to do in a debate is speak your truth, and if that truth is understood by whoever is judging you or the situation, then you could very well win your case.
you put your story across well without any frills, so maybe the tendancy to debate is reasonably pronounced as you have already proved this by joining in the forum debate. | |
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