Understanding Fortune Telling
How Negative Predictions Create Unnecessary Stress
You’ve just been invited to a party. Your friend chimes “I hope you can make it!” with a smile, but your mind is flooded with the horrors of awkward silences, being ignored, and standing all alone. Your imaginary crystal ball predicts a future where none of your friends talk to you after you embarrass yourself at the party.
Maybe your crystal ball could do with dust. Or maybe you should stop fortune telling all together.
What Is Fortune Telling?
Fortune telling happens when you predict negative outcomes without any real evidence. Your mind jumps to the worst-case scenario, and you start believing it’s inevitable. Whether it’s worrying about an awkward social situation or stressing over a work presentation, fortune telling can spiral into stress and fear.
The problem? These negative predictions aren’t based on facts—they’re just stories your mind creates. And when you believe them, they can start to shape your actions and emotions.
The Harmful Effects of Fortune Telling
Fortune telling doesn’t just make you anxious in the moment; it can have long-term effects on your mental health and wellbeing. Here are a few ways this habit can impact your life:
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
When you believe something bad will happen, you may unconsciously act in ways that make it come true. For example, if you’re convinced that you’ll mess up a presentation, you might become so anxious that your nerves get the best of you—leading to exactly the outcome you feared. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where your negative thoughts bring about the very failure you were trying to avoid.
Lowered Self-Esteem
Constantly predicting negative outcomes can take a toll on your confidence. Over time, you may start to believe that you’re incapable of success or that things will always go wrong for you. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, lower self-worth, and even depression.
Missed Opportunities
Fear of failure or rejection can prevent you from taking risks or trying new things. Whether it’s avoiding a challenging project at work or skipping a social event because you think it’ll go badly, fortune telling limits your ability to grow and experience life fully. You might miss out on exciting opportunities simply because you assumed the worst.
Real-Life Scenarios of Fortune Telling
Let’s take a look at how fortune telling can play out in everyday situations and impact your mindset.
Meeting Someone Famous
Imagine you’re about to meet a celebrity you’ve admired for years. Instead of feeling excited, you start picturing everything that could go wrong—awkward silences, embarrassing blunders, or maybe even the celebrity brushing you off. These negative thoughts create a sense of dread and anxiety, and they might cause you to behave nervously when the moment comes.
Because you’re so focused on what could go wrong, you miss out on the joy and excitement of meeting someone you admire. The anxiety you create for yourself can even lead to an awkward or uncomfortable interaction, reinforcing your fears.
How to Break Free from Fortune Telling
The good news is that you can stop fortune telling and reclaim your peace of mind by practising more balanced thinking. Here are some tips to help you break the cycle:
Challenge Your Thoughts
Whenever you catch yourself predicting a negative outcome, take a step back and question your thoughts. Ask yourself, “What evidence do I have that this will happen? Is there any proof that things will turn out badly?” Often, you’ll find that your worries aren’t based on facts, just fears.
Focus on the Present
Instead of letting your mind jump to the future and imagine worst-case scenarios, bring your attention back to the present. Ask yourself, “What can I do right now to improve the situation?” Focusing on the present moment helps you feel more in control and less anxious about what might happen.
Build Your Confidence
One way to combat fortune telling is by reminding yourself of your past successes. Think about times when things turned out better than you expected. Reflect on your strengths, skills and the positive outcomes you’ve achieved in similar situations.
Take Action
Instead of getting stuck in a loop of worrying, focus on taking constructive steps. If you’re worried about a presentation, practice and prepare instead of dwelling on the possibility of failure. If you’re concerned about a relationship, communicate with the person rather than assuming the worst.
The Future Is Uncertain—And That’s Okay!
It’s natural to worry about the future, but fortune telling takes it to an unhealthy level by convincing you that the worst will happen. The truth is, the future is uncertain, and that’s okay! Instead of wasting energy on negative predictions, try to stay open to the possibility that things might turn out better than you expect. After all, life is full of surprises—and not all of them are bad!
