The Butterfly Effect and the Next Right Thing

Most times in life we nurse big dreams of positive change, we look at the system in which we find ourselves with a burning zeal to change the flaws we find therein. But we only wait for the ‘Archimedean pedestal’ to start doing something right. We hear ourselves saying, “oh! Would that I was in so and so position, I would have done the right thing.

The butterfly effect is a term closely associated with the work of the mathematician and meteorologist, Edward Norton Lorenz who suggested that a flap of a butterfly’s wings can ultimately cause a tornado somewhere. His idea is that in the natural process, small changes can have a large consequence (cf. www.technology.com).  According to the Cambridge online dictionary, the butterfly effect is “a situation in which an action or change that does not seem important has a very large effect especially in other places or around the world.” For Dictionary.com, it is the idea that small events can have a large unpredictable influence on the future. 

In psychology, according to the Psychologenie.com, the butterfly effect is understood as something that creates a bigger impact on the lives of people. For them, small thoughts can also lead to big changes. All our actions and the events in the universe have an impact on something else. To explain this more Shawn Achor writes that, “each one of us is like that butterfly in the butterfly effect. And each tiny move towards a more positive mindset can send ripples of positivity through our organizations, our families and our communities.” (www.psychologenie.com)    

With the butterfly effect is important to understand that we do not need any pedestal to do good. Even though we can’t change the whole world at once, we can begin the change slice by slice. Drawing from the butterfly effect, if you start a positive change in your little community, the effects of that change will go on to cause another positive change and without being aware of it the little act of kindness you do can trigger more people to do the same.

Our duty to humanity

When we perform good actions, for what purpose do we do it? In the 2014 movie Jai Ho by Sohail Kahn, the protagonist, Jai Ho, started a goodness chain by helping people who were in need, and when they wanted to thank him or show appreciation, he simply replied “don’t thank me, just make sure to help at least three more people whenever you get the chance.” Little did he realize the effect of what he was doing until the prime minister was saved from electrocution by a young girl who was a beneficiary of Jai Ho’s ‘butterfly effect.’ He wasn’t there to save the prime minister but his kind deeds saved the day.

The essence of our kindness towards others is not just to relieve suffering or just to follow the golden rule: “do to others what you would want to be done to you.” Our kind deeds should be a source of inspiration to others to do good to others. Thus, kindness is a service to the whole of humanity not just to the immediate beneficiary. For instance, by helping our closest neighbours, no matter how little or insignificant, they may, being inspired by our kindness, reciprocate this kindness to their closest neighbours and the neighbours repeat the same and it goes on and on until the whole community feels an impact of this kindness.  

The saint next door

Ancient writings say, “corrupt and depraved all of them, there is not a good man left.” This saying is recurrent in our contemporary society; we hear it in form of expressions like, “no one is holy”, “everyone does it, it’s normal”, etc. Morality is suffering because of the idea of, “if you can’t beat them you join them” or “learn to accept what you can’t change”, and so on. Why join the negative chorus when you can convince someone to turn towards positivity? Why accept an ugly situation when you can prevent it from happening, at least, in your neighbourhood? Most times when things go wrong, people detest it but they lack the courage to condemn it or fight it. They are looking for someone to speak up, to challenge them, to spur them to fight. Your being able to resist the temptation of joining the crowd, or standing strong for what is right might spur others who are afraid to act, to stand up and fight for a positive change.

Great revolutionaries started with just one or very few followers. Jesus Christ convinced the disciples one by one or two as the case may be. He started his ministry with just twelve followers and now the whole world knows his name. If you can’t teach the world, be resolute in your truth and be the saint next door, yes you may not be able to convert your whole neighbourhood, but your good actions can affect your next-door neighbour, who will also, having been touched by your good deeds, influence his next-door neighbour, and sequentially the effects of that single good deed of yours may reach your entire neighbourhood. Just be the saint next door.

Be the change you want to see

We complain a lot about what is not right in a system, but we don’t seem to realize what is wrong with us. We are often concerned with removing dust in the eye of society that we forget to begin with the log in our eye. When we say our neighbourhood is uncivilized, we forget that we are a part of that neighbourhood. How civilized are we, and what are doing about it?

There is nothing as bad as being guilty of the same crime you condemn and convict others for. If our society is to be better it has to start with us individually. Though we may not be able to change the whole world, we can change a slice of it and begin our butterfly effect.

Attitude towards others

In attempting to cause a positive effect, it should not be done as an act of self-righteousness rather it should be with love and openness. Sometimes what we hold to be right may turn out to be wrong, we should be open to learning new things that are positive and unlearning old and negative notions in other to play a part in this butterfly effect of positive change. In trying to make others resonate with our ideas it is best not to use force or intimidation. According to Fulton Sheen, “the virtuous may hold absolutely to their philosophy of life, they do so, not because they look down on the views of others as not as good as their own, but because their own beliefs are so real to them that they would not have anyone else hold them with less reason, less love and less devotion.” (Way to Inner Peace, p.132)

Conclusion

The butterfly effect entails that in the face of overwhelming circumstances we should do the next right thing. It is prudent to work on a part to change the whole, other than focusing on the whole and neglecting the parts. It is good to nurse our dissatisfaction with the whole system, community, or nation as the case may be, but we must start the revolution we want from ourselves and let the butterfly effect begin with us. Remember in the face of an overwhelming situation, do the next positive right thing.

Written by: Irokojo Uchenna E. From Umokoro Umuokeh Obowo. An undergraduate student of philosophy. A copywriter and content creator.