I don't know why the phenomenon of the self-fulfilling prophecy is so strong in some people and not in others. I suspect it is active for all of us, but for some people, it seems that it is the controlling factor in their lives.

Or is the self-fulfilling prophecy just a cover for an unwillingness to take responsibility for one's conscious and subconscious decisions. The inability to override the demands of appetite and addiction and be the one in charge of one's own life, not the victim of it.

Or...is the self-fulfilling prophecy a powerful psychological law, that once the consequences of an action or the outcomes of a situation are perceived, they are inevitable.

Sounds like I'm reframing the old Free Will question. Do we, to some extent at least, have control of our own lives, or are we the puppets of our biology and circumstances? Does our genetic inheritance rule our lives, or can we modify our natural tendencies and instincts and appetites to serve our intentions? Is there a life's work or only a life's weakness? Are we victors or victims?