Belief Shapes Behavior: The Power of Narrative in Crisis and Competition

Humans possess the unique ability to theorize about behaviors during crises, which drastically influences actions and societal interactions. The narratives we create about ourselves can manifest as self-fulfilling prophecies; believing in concepts like social Darwinism or Homo economicus can lead individuals to behave in self-serving ways. Economic education often fosters this belief, causing students to adopt more selfish attitudes over time. Furthermore, organizational practices such as stack ranking emphasize competition and selfishness among employees, leading to increased stress, decreased creativity, and reduced productivity. This environment turns colleagues into adversaries, hindering collaboration and innovation. Despite evidence showing that such practices are detrimental, many leaders cling to outdated competitive models, mistakenly believing that profitability hinges on survival of the fittest dynamics within a workforce.