Thread by @ToanTruongGTX

This is the most powerful experiment on human potential:

The Pygmalion Effect.

It’s the true root cause why most people stay stuck, depressed, and never reach their true potential…

Here's a 4-step protocol to break the cycle today: 🧵

1964. A small elementary school in California.

Psychologist Robert Rosenthal walks in with a dangerous question:

"What if intelligence isn’t fixed?"

What if it’s malleable—and can be changed by nothing more than belief?

So he tested every child’s IQ.

Then he RIGGED the result.

Rosenthal randomly chose a handful of kids and told their teachers:

“These are your ‘intellectual bloomers.’ They’ll make exceptional progress this year.”

The teachers weren’t told their scores. They weren’t told it was random.

The only difference was expectation.
And that was enough to set something in motion.

Over the year, something invisible happened:

* Bloomers got warmer smiles
* More detailed feedback on mistakes
* Subtle cues of “I know you can do this”
* Harder assignments that stretched them

The kids felt it.

By the end of the year, the “bloomers” showed IQ gains far above the rest of the class.

• Same school.
• Same teachers.
• Same curriculum.

Only one thing had changed: how others saw them.

• Raising their hands more.
• Tackling harder problems.
• Acting like people who belonged at the top.

The students didn’t just look more confident—tests showed they were smarter.

Psychologist Robert Rosenthal found there're 4 factors that explained this:

Rosenthal had uncovered a loop:

1/ Others believe in you.
2/ They treat you like you’re capable.
3/ You start believing it.
4/ You act accordingly.
5/ Their belief is confirmed.

This became the foundation of the Pygmalion Effect.

The dark side?

When expectations are low, the loop still works—just in reverse.

It’s called the Golem Effect.

Low belief → Less support → Lower self-belief → Poorer performance.

This is why many people get stuck for life.

They’ve been quietly labeled “average” or “difficult” since childhood.

And the people around them—bosses, teachers, even family—keep reinforcing it without realizing.

The good news?

You can take control of the loop—both for yourself and for the people you influence.

Here’s a 4-step protocol to make the Pygmalion Effect work in your favor:

Step 1: Audit the Belief Field Around You

Write down the 5 people you talk to most each week.

Next to each, note the last time they challenged you, celebrated you, or pushed you forward.

If most slots are blank—you’re in the wrong field.

Step 2: Borrow Belief Until It’s Yours

Low self-belief? Find people who see more in you than you see in yourself.

• Join a group operating at your next level.
• Work with a coach who won’t let you shrink.

Use their belief as a temporary power source.

Step 3: Set Stretch Challenges

Pick a goal ~25% beyond your current level.

Lead 3 people? seek 5.
If you run 5k, aim for 10k.
Close $5k deals? Try $7k.

Stretch enough to grow—without snapping under the weight.

Step 4: Reinforce Every Win—Marginal Gains

Log small wins daily—finished tasks, skill gains, milestones hit.

Celebrate them immediately.

Each confirmation locks in a new self-image and fuels the next leap forward.

That's a wrap!

Follow @ToanTruongGTX for more fascinating stories about human psychology and historical events that changed how we see the world.

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