♟️ The Metagame #023: The Self-Fulfilling Tech Prophecy

Humans are storytellers by nature.

From the Stone Age to the 21st century, we’ve used stories to connect one another physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

We dream up a future, write about it, and then—whether by sheer willpower or coincidence—start living it.

Funny how life works, isn’t it?

But what if the stories we tell create a future we don’t want?

Here’s what’s in store for today:

1. Sci-fi shaping our reality

2. The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

3. If You Build It, They Will Come

Read time: 5 minutes

Think about this:

We created the movie I, Robot in 2004—a dystopian vision of humanoid robots that (spoiler alert) eventually take over humanity.

Fast forward to today, and we see tech companies building eerily similar robots.

Did we get inspiration from the movie? Or… did the movie plant the idea in our minds?

So here’s the big question:

What if I, Robot portrayed robots differently? What if they were friendly, goofy, or non-humanoid altogether?

Would Tesla or Boston Dynamics still be making robots that match those from our dystopian stories?

The same goes for many other popular apocalyptic and dystopian movies and shows. From Squid Game to The Hunger Games to Black Mirror, our entertainment industry seems obsessed with futures where things go horribly wrong.

It makes sense that the world constantly feels on the edge of chaos when everything we consume is a vision of that.

What if all our movies were about perfect utopias where nothing goes wrong? No plot twists, no dark secrets, just a movie about a civilized society. Would we be chasing a brighter future instead of fearing the collapse of society?

Now, these don’t sound like they’d make a thrilling storyline—but that’s the point. We’ve been so accustomed to hearing these stigmas and stories about a failing society that it’s what we’ve learned to expect, and sometimes even worship.

It’s like we’ve been playing a decades-long game of "the chicken or the egg" with fiction and reality. Did the dystopian stories predict our future—or create it?

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Now, this isn’t meant to tell you how doomed society is.

The point of sharing this is to tell you your life works the same way.

Ever heard of the skiing trick where you’re told not to look at the tree? Because if you look at the tree, you’ll almost certainly hit it.

Because where your focus goes, your energy flows.

This is the essence of a self-fulfilling prophecy: your thoughts shape your reality.

• When you only look for problems, you’ll find them everywhere.

• When you assume people are out to get you, every interaction will feel hostile.

• When you tell yourself you’re “bad” at something, your actions will align to prove that belief true.

But here’s the good news: this works in reverse, too:

• Start noticing the good in your day, and you’ll begin seeing more of it.

• Believe you’re capable of achieving your goals, and you’ll take actions that align with that belief.

• Focus on opportunities instead of obstacles, and you’ll create momentum toward success.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Let’s zoom back out to the world at large. The famous quote “If you build it, they will come” from Field of Dreams isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s a life philosophy.

We build the things we focus on, and the rest of the world eventually shows up to validate our efforts.

The tech we create, the businesses we launch, the stories we tell—these shape the future in ways we often don’t even realize. But here’s the catch: just because we can build something doesn’t always mean we should.

• We created nuclear weapons, and are now one misunderstanding away from global catastrophe.

• We built social media, and it came with a cascade of unintended consequences: isolation, echo chambers, and endless scrolling.

• We’re building AI that’s smarter than ever, but are we setting up the right guardrails to prevent unintended consequences?

The same applies to your personal life. If you’re focused on building habits, relationships, and a career, take a step back and ask: Is this the future I want to build?

The stories we tell, the things we build, and the thoughts we think shape our future. Whether it’s our technology or our personal lives, self-fulfilling prophecies are real.

So, ask yourself:

What kind of stories am I feeding into my life?

Where is my focus going, and what kind of reality is it creating?

And most importantly, am I shaping the future I actually want—or just living out someone else’s vision?

The future isn’t written yet, but we’re holding the pen. What will you write?

Quote of the week

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions, hit me up on LinkedIn or on 𝕏 at @sam_starkman, or feel free to reply to this email!

— Sam