Could a public clock change how people wait?
Time feels different when everyone can see it.
Yes. Public clocks change waiting by making time visible and shared. The hidden mechanism is uncertainty reduction.
A public clock does more than display minutes. It synchronizes expectations.
When time is visible, people spend less energy guessing and more energy planning. The emotional cost of waiting often falls because uncertainty becomes measurable.
The hidden mechanism is uncertainty reduction. Shared information creates shared patience.
People think clocks measure time. Often, they measure how much uncertainty a crowd is willing to tolerate.
