The Whistle Before the Boil

I put the kettle on the other day, and it started whistling before the water had actually finished heating properly.

Not because it was ready. Just because it hit the point where it could make noise.

We do this too.

We call a decision “final” the moment the “not-knowing” becomes too uncomfortable to sit with - not necessarily when we've actually thought it through.

We say "I'm done with this person" the moment the hurt gets loud enough - not necessarily when we've actually processed what happened.

We announce "I know what I want" the moment the doubt becomes unbearable - not necessarily when we've actually figured it out.

The whistle isn't proof the water's ready. It's just proof the temperature crossed a threshold.

And discomfort works the same way. It tells you something is happening. It doesn't tell you what to do about it.

The mistake isn't reacting. It's mistaking the urgency of the signal for the accuracy of the conclusion.

What's something you've decided in the middle of a feeling, that you'd have decided differently if you'd waited for the feeling to pass?