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this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2025
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Whoever made up that saying, "A watched pot never boils," must have a very different brain from me.
I have no illusions that I'm capable of multitasking with my conscious attention, and if I'm watching a pot of water being heated to a boil, then that's all I'm watching, so it inevitably boils while I'm watching it.
The meaning isn't literal, it is saying that waiting feels longer when you are focused on the thing.
The meaning has been lost, it means that you won’t ruin your soup if you tend it.
I've heard that before and it sounds plausible, but the anticipation making things take longer is clever instead of literal.
The meaning can also be literal if you interpret it using quantum physics. Observing the quantum state of a molecule will collapse its wavefunction in the most likely state, which is the same state it was in if you observed it mere instants ago.
I grew up just following my mum around the kitchen. I remember literally watching pots of water boil. When the bubbles form and they look like eyes and stuff. When I heard the saying, I was always a bit confused until I realized I'm a weirdo.
The meaning of the saying is actually the opposite: as soon as you look away it starts doing the thing you were watching it for. Applies to many situations in life; maybe not foremost actual pots with cooking in it.
Yes, they probably did...
It just means that when "distracted", perception of time changes. For example, doing something you hate tends to feel like it took more time than something you enjoy.