Good, honest, and kinder

 ^{https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-tulips-flowers-7967577/} >! [Hidden Spoiler Text] > > The Golem Effect > >The Golem Effect is a psychological concept that describes how people tend to behave according to the expectations others have of them. The name comes from the Jewish myth in which a clay creature becomes violent when people around it begin to fear it. > >In psychology, the Golem Effect occurs when someone is constantly viewed negatively. That person ends up internalizing those expectations and will act accordingly. For example, a child who is seen as problematic may, over time, begin to actually act in a problematic way, even if they did not initially have that tendency. > >This effect is often contrasted with the Pygmalion Effect, which talks about how positive expectations can lead to superior performance. While the Pygmalion Effect focuses on the potential for improvement, the Golem Effect highlights the risk of >deterioration and conformity to negative expectations. > >We can see the Golem Effect in various situations, such as at school, at work, and in personal relationships. For example, if a boss expects an employee to be ineffective, he may treat that employee in a way that reflects that expectation, causing the employee to feel unmotivated and work below his potential. > >Understanding the Golem Effect is important for leaders, teachers, and anyone who has influence over others. It can help create an environment where expectations are positive and constructive, promoting people's growth and success. > >Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect I heard a very interesting idea on a podcast today. I would like to share it with you while I am reflecting on the subject. I have addressed this topic several times before. The lack of trust we have in others. The inability to relate cordially to those around us. If we think of someone as cruel, deceitful, or evil, our view of their behavior will reflect precisely those expectations or prejudices. We all have good moments and not-so-good moments. We all rise to our best, and sometimes we have moments when we didn't even know that side of ourselves existed, because we had sunk so low. But can the view that others have of us change the way they perceive us? Or, to put it another way, does our perception of others' behavior change according to our prejudice about their behavior or nature? The book Humankind, published in 2019 by Rutger Bregman, argues that something similar is happening when we see ourselves as a species. Bregman reports that for centuries we have been telling ourselves a story that is not always true. In this story, we describe the human species, or what some call the human race, as villains. Since recent times, the narrative initially advocated by Thomas Hobbes that human nature is cruel, selfish, and violent has become ingrained in our minds and thoughts. This is what Bregman calls the Veneer theory, where most people have a chance of either being kind or, on the other hand, brutal and violent. But Bregman argues that almost all of the case studies and various experiments that people use to support this theory are the best-case scenarios. Almost all institutions, schools, prisons, and workplaces are built on the assumption that humans need to be watched all the time and need to be kept under control. The reason this narrative is so tenacious is because of fear, sensationalism, and misery, which make up most of the opening news stories on television, viral social media posts, or even everyday conversations. And it ends up being the most “juicy” stories that arouse the most resentment and anger, the ones that sell the most newspapers, have the widest reach, and are shared the most. And as such, if you are one of the people in power, you need to justify your power. You need to assert that your power is necessary precisely because of these events. I don't mean to say that I believe in a world without weapons. To me, that is utopian, and it doesn't work. An armed world where there is respect for the fear of counterattack is better than an unarmed world where the slightest disturbance of its peace, due to a wide variety of events, leads to a catastrophe of events that bring about the collapse of what I believe to be order and civility. Bergman argues that humans are in fact much more cooperative and altruistic if given the opportunity. Of course, some people will sometimes be cruel, but Bergman argues that most people are good, honest, kind, and fair most of the time. ##### Bem Hajam🍀  ^{Free image from [Pixabay.com](https://pixabay.com/)}