Boiling a frog - not commonly understood

Last week I was asked about how I “felt” with all our longevity interventions. I asked if they had ever heard the story of boiling a frog? and I was surprised that this person had never heard the story/concept.

Long story short…

Once upon a time a frog hopped into a pot of water, unbeknownst to this frog, the pot was destined to be used to make tea… The pot was placed on the stove and the frog though this was great as the water got warmer and more to his liking. As it continued to heat up the frog became a bit more happy and as it started to boil the frog never jumped out, as it was too late, the frog perished.

The message that we become complacent with our situation and adapt to the discomforts of life is an old one. Many older people I know are joining the frog, they know something is happening but they are not willing to jump out of the pot for a better life.

This principle applies to many things involved in the longevity sphere. I don’t “feel” a lot of the changes as they are happening and often question whether or not what I’m doing is making a difference. So I have to stop and think about the temperature of the water I’m in today compared to yesterday and the week before and the year before that.

I also review my test results for some validation, which strongly suggest things are moving in the right direction. Even then, as the water heats up, I have to remind myself that something is working, I do feel “good”, I am stronger today than I was 6 years ago, all my tests are better but I still don’t know if I’m “feeling” it all the time LoL!

Complacency is a killer.

10 Likes

Does this mean that saunas are bad for you?

3 Likes

Only if you don’t get out of it before you’re cooked.

7 Likes

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

— Seneca

4 Likes

Nice one. I thought that quote was attributed to Branch Ricky but probably every bit of modern wisdom is recycled from ancient times.

2 Likes

The story is a compelling metaphor, but as a minor point, to ground this discussion in biology, it doesn’t reflect the behavior of real frogs.

… according to modern biologists the premise is false: changing location is a natural thermoregulation strategy for frogs and other ectotherms, and is necessary for survival in the wild. A frog that is gradually heated will jump out.

4 Likes

How about the frog and the scorpion? Always liked that one.

3 Likes

We who got away used to say about people still living in Bombay (now Mumbai) that they were frogs in a pot set to boil.

2 Likes