THE BOILING FROG SYNDROME: KNOWING WHEN TO LEAVE
The
'Boiling Frog' syndrome is based on an urban legend describing a frog being
slowly boiled alive.
If
a frog is suddenly put into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out and save
itself from impending death.
But,
if the frog is put in lukewarm water, with the temperature rising slowly, it
will not perceive any danger to itself and will be cooked to death.
Since
the frog is only slightly uncomfortable with its warm surroundings, it keeps
trying to adjust and get accustomed, making itself believe that the slow,
gradual change in temperature is normal.
Only
when the slow change suddenly starts accelerating does the frog realize it just
signed its own death warrant. It would have already lost its strength to jump
out.
The
problem is that the human equivalent of the 'Boiling Frog' syndrome is observed
more commonly than we'd like to admit.
There
are many 'boiling frogs' that we come across in every facet of life.
Getting
out of a supposed comfort zone may seem a difficult decision to take. Refusing
to see the impending danger may be a result of ideological laziness or lethargy.
Sometimes people refuse to dare to change the status quo or rock the boat for
fear of the temporary discomfort or societal expectations.
How
groups, tribes or communities will view a person’s actions often leads to
inaction in the face of unnecessary and avoidable danger. The “victim” fails or
refuses to prioritize survival and self-preservation over being socially
correct.
People
have lost millions in the stock market crash because they failed to observe
negative signs in the economy, until the changes started accelerating and led
to a global recession.
Businesses
who failed to acknowledge the innovative competitors that offered substitute
products to attack their 'moats' – from business cards vs. LinkedIn; to Kodak
film vs. digital cameras; atlas books vs. Google Maps; Myspace vs. Facebook,
and BlackBerry vs. Apple and so on.
Failure
to adopt pragmatic and proactive reasoning has often led to great disaster.
A
story went viral recently of a popular gospel singer who kept enduring domestic
violence because of what the people will say or how the society would view it.
She
didn’t leave the marriage until one day the spouse dealt her the lethal blow.
Most
of us become so comfortable and used to our current situation (the lukewarm
water) that we don't even recognize the need to escape from it (the gradually
increasing heat).
There
are two types of optimists. One remembers to carry an umbrella when it is
cloudy. The other assumes it will not rain. The latter risks being drenched if
it eventually rains.
It
is not enough to see the signals but necessary to take precautions and preempt
danger before it happens.
Don't
put up with the rising temperatures, never settle in discomfort, better to act
sooner rather than later.
Once
you feel uncomfortable in any situation, just get out before it is too late.
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