The watched pot

By Emmanuelle

This study was carried out by psychologists, just to make a point:

Two groups of the same number of people were introduced to a pot sitting plumply on a hotplate. The pot was shown to be half-filled with water. Then the hotplate was switched on to high heat. After the introduction, the psychologists left the two groups to themselves for exactly four minutes.

Both groups were not informed of the duration of time they were left to themselves. Unknown to the second group, the first group was given the instruction to take note of the time when the pot began to boil.

When the psychologists returned, both groups were asked to give an estimate of the duration of time they were left to themselves. The first group, who were watching for the pot to boil, gave a longer estimate of the time than the first group.

The conclusion? Too many for comfort. Too many people popping off the cover of the pot to check what’s taking it too long to boil actually makes the pot seem to take longer to boil. Popping off the cover and peeping into the pot too many times take the steam out of the boiling. Ang tagal naman, ano ba?!

The second group was left with no instruction to watch anything, pot or what, so they used the time for more pleasurable things other than watching some ornery pot to boil. It was chika time! Did you notice how these psychologists dress themselves up? These nerds are so out-of-time! Actually, they are frozen in time! Like the fifties?! Making mapanglait talks like these really makes time fly.

So, those amongst you waiting for Madam to resign have got a longer wait coming.

And as our usual habit, talking of the watched-pot effect brings us to the next kamag-anak: the pot that calls the kettle black. E, pareho naman na sunog ang puwet. (Author’s note: Puwet is local tongue for the bottom of the pan. And that should add two more censorable items to the list.)

The origin of this saying is traced back to the 17th century: the pot calls the kettle burnt-arse. (Author’s note: Huh?) Cooking was done then over wood or coal in open fire and the saying referred to the soot that blackened the base of pots. As it will again blacken the base of pots henceforth and so forth as LPG hits P700 as the crow is black.

Beware thus. One who calls another a liar or a theft is himself a liar or a theft recognizing a kapatid sa hanapbuhay. On the other hand, one who pigeonholes another as a hopeless romantic was once himself a hopeless romantic to correctly tag another one.

And there was this true story where the wife confronts her husband’s lover as magnanakaw. And the woman quipped back: mas nauna kang nagnakaw. And the wife remembered. She had seduced her husband away from his destined fate

And not to forget the leader who cautions the critics not to allow their ambition to hinder the nation’s way to progress: Wag the same cautioning finger to yourself.

The watched pot may take long to simmer, but having simmered, boils. And out pops: the magic dragon!

(Readers may reach columnist at jingmil@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/feelings/
For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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