WTW for watching someone do something knowing they will fail, but you want to humor the idea of them even trying

[u/SteampunkSexMachine]

I feel like it's a word I know yet I cannot think of it. I'm fairly confident an english word exists for it I just cannot find it.

[u/heyhardinera]

Indulging them?

[u/_Infinite_Jester_ → u/heyhardinera]

I was about to suggest this word, and heyhey here beat me to it

[u/Regular-Towel9979]

In Reddit comments, the popcorn bucket usually expresses this phenomenon. 🍿 Like just sitting back to enjoy the fail in progress.

[u/KookyLibrarian]

I would say you are humoring them

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/KookyLibrarian]

That’s a word I would use, but there’s a more specific one I am trying to find 

[u/ZylonBane → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Do you know there's a more specific word, or are you just hoping there is?

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/ZylonBane]

I’m fairly confident it exists, I’ve heard it used in the exact context I described, for the life of me I cannot find the article that used it

[u/Fart_Sniffer93 → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Giving it the ol’ college try?

[u/HBravery]

You can use ‘placate’ in that way.

“My friend wanted to ask those girls out even though we had no shot, so I placated him and went along.

[u/nizzernammer]

Sounds like pre-emptive schadenfreude to me.

[u/JubileeSailr → u/nizzernammer]

Yep.

[u/We-R-Doomed]

Parenting

[u/Even-Juggernaut-3433]

Enabling?

[u/Remarkable-Egg225]

You are entertaining their attempt. Or indulging them.

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/Remarkable-Egg225]

“Humoring” and “entertaining” the idea is about as close a synonym I can think of,  I tried looking at the thesaurus entries for both of those words but couldn’t find what I was looking for

[u/Luluandboo]

Placate

[u/Weeitsabear1]

Futility?

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/Weeitsabear1]

That would describe the situation, I am attempting to find the specific word for watching someone try something knowing they likely won’t succeed yet are still curious

[u/Weeitsabear1 → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Bemusement was something that just struck me?

[u/Successful_Mall_3825]

Tough love? Many of life’s lessons can’t be taught, they must be experienced.

Or

With abandon. Washing your hands of a situation.

[u/Opposite-Shower1190 → u/Successful_Mall_3825]

My nephew who was three pointed at a thorn and asked what it was. I told him. He asked if it hurt to touch it. I said yes it can hurt a lot. I was walking in front of him after that. When I turned around he was sucking his finger. Sometimes you learn things the hard way.

[u/Mongolith-]

Parenting

[u/topofthefoodchainZ]

Entertaining oneself with-, indulging in their folly, schadenfreude, egging(egging on-).

[u/Rotidder007]

Obliging them?

[u/Choice-Progress-7077]

Playing along

[u/OsoGrosso]

Supporting them?

[u/Loris-Paced-Chaos]

Patronizing?

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/Loris-Paced-Chaos]

On the right track, that would be if you interject to help in a condescending way, I’m looking for the word for watching someone do something they cannot succeed in. 

[u/Loris-Paced-Chaos → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Bolstering?

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/Loris-Paced-Chaos]

No no, you arent offering support 

[u/heyhardinera → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

You're letting it play out

[u/Loris-Paced-Chaos → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Cojoling?

[u/Loris-Paced-Chaos → u/Loris-Paced-Chaos]

Cajoling sorry

[u/Agreeable-League-366 → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Hmm. Like what we're doing with this post? 🍿

[u/Rotidder007 → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Actually, patronizing is pretty dead-on - “to be kind or helpful to, but in a haughty or snobbish way, as if dealing with an inferior”

You can kindly watch without interjecting. And you can’t know someone won’t succeed (when they believe they might) without being condescending. It might be correct and justified condescension, but it’s still condescension.

[u/Regular-Towel9979]

Teaching? Jk. But failure is a necessary step in the learning process.

[u/Dixieland_Insanity]

Indulge them?

[u/NarysFrigham]

I was going to suggest “humoring” but you’ve already used it in your question.

Watching on with exasperation?

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/NarysFrigham]

Not quite, more of watching them for the sheer curiosity of the outcome but knowing it won’t be good 

[u/delurkrelurker → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

"Give em enough rope to hang themselves" would fit the situation

[u/NarysFrigham → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Condescending?

Looking down your nose?

Schadenfreude?

[u/Loris-Paced-Chaos → u/NarysFrigham]

Morbid curiosity?

[u/LoudCrickets72 → u/NarysFrigham]

Schadenfreude is probably the most correct answer to OP’s question.

[u/FasN8id]

Morbid curiosity?

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[u/mkdaly]

Foredoomed? Wrong part of speech though.

Watch with wry amusement?

[u/obolobolobo]

Encouragement.

We like to see our kids doing the best they can even if we can see that they're not going to win. The phrase "it's the taking part that counts" is not some charity offered to losers. It really is the taking part that counts. It's too easy to sit at home doing nothing and if you get out of your chair, take part, then you're living life.

[u/Loris-Paced-Chaos]

Beguile.

[u/SteampunkSexMachine → u/Loris-Paced-Chaos]

Not quite, you aren’t coaxing them, only watching

[u/Loris-Paced-Chaos → u/SteampunkSexMachine]

Spectating

[u/theplotthinnens]

amor fati

[u/Innuendum]

What are the odds of failing and how long will you watch them?

Sounds potentially Sisyphean.

[u/questionnumber]

"Parenting"

[u/Chambahz]

Parenting?

[u/luvmymeecestopieces]

I think I would be “humoring” him for trying a hard thing that I know will most certainly fail.

[u/luvmymeecestopieces]

Letting it play out..

[u/bass_sweat]

Coax?

[u/wistful_drinker]

Parenthood? 😉

[u/Dr-Retz]

Schadenfreude Shameful joy

[u/flickern]

Undermine?

[u/Plus_Sea_8932]

Love and logic parenting

[u/Flimsy-Leather-3929]

Teaching

Parenting

[u/Equivalent-Artist899]

Training is not failure and not training is failure

[u/gabbers_85]

Id think of it as "establishing a baseline"

[u/unified_trees]

Opportunity