JAKARTA — What exactly are the Placebo and Nocebo effects in our lives? Certain truths are undeniable, regardless of belief: water boils at 100 degrees Celsius; drugs can harm health; President Soeharto resigned on May 21, 1998. Beyond such irrefutable facts, Rutger Bregman, in “Humankind: A Hopeful History” (2020), discusses phenomena that can become reality if we truly believe in them.
Our beliefs have the potential to create what is known as “self-fulfilling prophecies.” These beliefs can generate their own law of attraction, mobilizing the universe’s energy to support their manifestation into reality.
Positive beliefs can channel positive energy and manifest positive outcomes, exemplified by the Placebo effect. For instance, if a doctor gives you a “dummy” pill claiming it will cure your ailment, there’s a good chance you’ll feel better. Similarly, telling a student they are intelligent and full of potential can boost their confidence and help them grow into a talented individual.
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The more dramatic the Placebo, the greater its effectiveness. Generally, injections are more potent than pills, with the ultimate Placebo being surgery. Dressing in a white coat, administering anesthesia, and then simply waiting can lead to patients believing a successful operation was performed upon awakening.
A comprehensive review by a British medical journal, comparing actual surgeries to “sham” surgeries for conditions like back pain and heartburn, revealed that the Placebo effect helped cure about three-quarters of the cases, with about half as effective as real surgery.
Conversely, negative beliefs can channel negative energy and result in negative outcomes, known as the Nocebo effect. Predicting a bank’s bankruptcy and convincing many to withdraw their funds can indeed lead to the bank’s failure.
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Taking a “dummy” pill with the belief it will cause illness can indeed induce sickness. Warning patients about severe side effects of a drug can make those side effects more likely to occur.
While the Nocebo effect has not been extensively tested for ethical reasons, evidence suggests its significant impact.
Believing that most people are untrustworthy can harm social harmony, as few ideas shape the world as much as our perception of others. Ultimately, you get what you expect. Addressing humanity’s greatest challenges, from climate crisis to widespread distrust, begins with reassessing our view of human nature.
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A grandfather tells his grandson about an internal battle between two wolves, one representing negative qualities and the other positive ones. When asked which wolf would win, the grandfather replies, “The one you feed the most.”
This insightful piece was written and presented by Yudi Latif, a Board of Trustees Member at the Dompet Dhuafa Republika Foundation, during the “Leader’s Insight” event on Tuesday (9/1/2023) at the Philanthropy Building, South Jakarta.