The Butterfly effect, theory of Chaos was given to us by Mr. Edward Lorenz (may he Rest in Peace) in the 1960's in order to attempt to explain how weather might change. He accidentally (if there is any such a thing) gave us an understanding much deeper than the weather.
This Story goes as this : A Butterfly in China flaps its wings and the resulting tiny change in the air accumulates with other factors which eventually becomes a hurricane in the United States. This is Chaos theory in a nutshell, one action (regardless of its size) is important because each action is received by another which eventually manifests into something bigger and unseen by the originator.
I am not a mathematician, just a simple philosopher so can not even begin to show you the equations which went into Mr. Lorenz's proof, however all the proof I need is everywhere around me.
The simple understanding would be that we are wanting to make a meal but in order to do so we need to have heat to cook with, we need the correct type of groceries, we need transportation to the store or a healthy body to grow the food then process it ourselves, much goes into making a meal. Chaos theory basically says that it all began somewhere and the cumulative tiny somethings became our evening meal. If even one of the tiniest things changes so does the result. For instance not enough versus perfect conditions of rain or nutrients which changes the flavor of the vegetables which are used to create the meal. It is each variable in its development which contributes to the end product, it is considered chaos simply because everything is depended on something else which if looked at would resemble a chaotic mix which has variable results. The mathematical proof, however, shows that with the exact same variables the exact same result will happen but it must be exact. This world is not made to be exact, it is made to be diverse, wonderful, colorful, and delightfully surprising.
We do not, often, enjoy being fully responsible for the events in our lives but we are. This understanding shows us clearly that there is a cause and effect for simply everything that happens in our lives. It also helps us understand that by changing just one tiny, little thing, we can change the entire outcome of an event. We are in complete control at all times of our lives to decide how to react to the current flutter of the 'butterflies wing'.
I am thinking of some of the worst possible moments of my life and how was I responsible for those? Well, I was not responsible for that persons decision or reaction to whatever happened which created the event that collided with my own life. I am, however, in complete control of what I choose to do now that it has happened. When that butterfly flapped its wings starting a chain of events which eventually collided with my life, I then could decide what to do with its result. I can choose to allow it to define my future or I can use it to catapult me toward wonderful dreams rather than a nightmare life.
Every day, we flap our wings which sets into motion a chain of events. Even if we choose to never rise from our beds a chain of events has begun which will collimate until a result eventually transpires. Along the way toward the result, however, are numerous points in which we can change the direction into another possible event. We can choose to smile at a stranger walking down the street and never know that the other person was on their way to commit suicide because he/she had lost all hope in humanity. Perhaps that smile was just the flap of your wing that caused the other to decide not to go home and beat his/her child out of frustration with the world.
We will rarely know how our action or lack of reaction affected the whole but be assured that everything you/I do is a link the the chain which creates our lives.
We are the Butterfly
