Философия «закипающей лягушки»: как бездействие перед лицом катастрофы превращает общество в жертву

IN 1872, German physiologist Friedrich Goltz experimented on frogs in water, leading to what eventually became known as the “boiling frog” concept. The original findings of his study showed that a frog sitting in a pot of water that is heated gradually will not jump out, in contrast to a frog that instinctively leaps out if dropped straight into hot water. According to the study, frogs regulate body heat to survive. A frog’s natural bodily adjustments allow it to tolerate an initial increase in water temperature. However, as the water becomes hotter, the frog eventually succumbs to the rising heat — until it is too late to jump out and survive. The frog fails to leap out because the gradual rise in temperature presents no immediate, sudden danger, leaving it unaware until it is too weak to react. While rooted in a scientific experiment, this concept became far more popular as a business and social metaphor describing the inability to act against a deteriorating situation that gradually reaches catastrophic proportions. Specifically, it serves as a powerful illustration for any institution or society unaware that what they tolerate today brings impending havoc tomorrow. It mirrors our tendency to ignore the warning signs — to forget “the writing on the wall” — and maintain a persistent mindset of dismissing lurking threats as an ordinary part of daily life rather than treating them as impending doom. The widespread flooding surrounding us — which so many are experiencing right now — causes severe property damage, business losses, the spread of disease, and even the loss of human lives. This has triggered unappeasable anger among those affected and the wider public. Much of the blame lies with national and local government units, whose responsive actions — if any — fall drastically short for a disaster of such magnitude. The destruction caused by monsoon rains does not come as a surprise. Nature takes its course every year, but its impact worsens due to factors like climate change and the reclamation of lands for business infrastructure — lands that previously served as natural waterways for torrential rains. Like the boiling frog, we considered the annual, incremental discomfort of floodwaters to be tolerable. What was a little ankle-deep water? A minor loss of income due to heavy rains? A bit of property damage we could shrug off? Until one day — just like what happened in recent days — many of us woke up submerged alongside all our belongings. Houses were eroded by raging river currents, leaving almost nothing useful behind. What remained were people soaked in floodwaters: hungry, helpless and enraged. Much like the boiling frog regulating its body heat to stay alive, Filipinos have relied on their ability to adapt to discomfort and life-threatening situations just to survive. We call this resilience. Sadly, it has become a deeply abused and devalued trait. Government aid, or “ayuda,” undisclosed billions pocketed from flood-control budgets by unscrupulous politicians; relief goods placed on family tables just to get by; endless promises of progress and protection — these are all ploys that steal not just people’s money, but their lives and futures. Only a fool would believe this proves the virtue of resilience. Is it not time to transform our search for the real meaning of resilience into a fierce demand for accountability? Do our leaders even care about the progress of this nation? Where are the comprehensive projects to mitigate flooding? Where is the economic roadmap for the country? Will next year’s rainy season follow the exact same script? Your guess is as good as mine, though I pray I am wrong. Otherwise, it will be the same unresolved flooding — or worse. The same towns and cities submerged. The same politicians pocketing budgets from flood-control projects, actual or not. The same reporters standing in knee-high rubber boots with raincoats and umbrellas, covering the exact same flooded streets. And it will be the same us: boiled frogs. Fr. Jesus “Jay” Miranda Jr., OP, is an organization and leadership studies resource person. He teaches at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School and the Department of Educational Leadership and Management of the Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, College of Education of De La Salle University, Manila. [email protected]