The first and most famous demonstration of this phenomenon in the western world is the play by Sophocles, Oedipus the King. Perhaps contrary to it’s classic interpretations and themes, it also features a prime example of what I hope to shine light on. A son is born to Laius, and he receives a prophecy that he will die by the hand of this son. Unnaturally, he instructs that his son be killed. When no one can bring themselves to kill the infant, the child is secretly allowed to live. Perhaps it wasn’t Laius’ fault, but there is no denying that it was his decision to believe the Oracle, setting off the very events that he was trying to prevent, eventually resulting in his own death.
Truth, it seems, is much stranger than fiction. In the modern world, examples of self sabotage, or colloquially 'shooting oneself in the foot,' abound. They can be both personal and corporate. Often times these stories are marked by the phrase, “Thereby ensuring the success of the very thing they are trying to prevent!” But rarely do these stories get cataloged. This is an attempt to do that, both factually and anecdotally. For only in examining our failures as a race, can we learn to overcome them.