My favorite people have been talking a lot about belief capital on twitter recently.

According to @thisiskp_ @whit4th @5harath, it’s the idea of supporting creators by believing in them.

This powerful idea is rooted in sociology and central to underdog theory.

mini thread

1/ In sociology, there is an idea known as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

For years, Robert Merton, a founding father of modern sociology, tried to explain why some people ‘make it’ and others don’t.

Merton explained his own rags to riches story through a self-fulfilling prophecy.

2/ Merton’s idea was simple: “if you can dream it, you can achieve it.”

Sociologists say we can predict our own future simply by believing in something with such conviction...

That it affects our actions and behaviors to the point that the desired outcome actually happens.

3/ Self-fulfilling prophecies are a powerful idea on their own, but sociologists like Merton take the idea one step further.

In sociology, The Pygmalion Effect explains why someone else’s expectations and beliefs have an enormous impact on our own performance.

4/ According to the Pygmalion Effect, others’ expectations impact us greatly.

If someone believes in you, there is a high likelihood you will believe in yourself.

This explains many relationships: student-teacher, employee-boss, mentor-mentee.

Both positive, and negative.

5/ To conclude, if you want your friends to succeed, lift them up, believe in them, and give them confidence.

Belief capital does not cost a thing and the upside is exponential.

I try to invest my belief capital in others daily. I am so grateful to everyone that invested in me.