The Butterfly Effect

Have you ever heard the term? Or the movie? (Kinda cool if you ask me). Have you ever wondered how come are you living your life exactly the way it is? Did you plan it just the way you wanted it or as most people say: "One thing led to another…". I don't want to burst anyone's bubble if they argue with me by saying: "Dude, I planned all my life and I'm living it exactly as I want it. You have no idea what I've been through to achieve it". But the thing is, as much control as we have over our lives, we just don't control all around it. These are mere examples of this so-called metaphor that we all may be immerse in.

To be in the same page, the butterfly effect is a metaphor dealing with a theory called the "Chaos Theory" (long story short, mini-tiny differences in the beginning of anything causes extremely big differences at the end of things). The metaphor describes a butterfly (captain obvious!) flying around, and with this movement may unchain a change in the weather of a place very far away (much like rain or anything like it). Sounds like a very weird example, but it helped me to understand how apparently despicable details may matter for any outcome we can think of.

But how this weird metaphor applies to our actual lives? Is it practical? My very personal answer is.. by all means YES! Just think of any recent day you've had. Make a list of things you wanted to do but for any weird/silly/unknown reason you either delayed or postponed them, maybe you met someone or your internet was down or ran out of gas… well, let's say those things are your butterflies! And you doing things or not is your "weather". Now we're getting somewhere! I know it sounds very out-there, but I think is very believable. I mean, imagine how you met your best friend, or how you ended up stuck in a meeting… or simply, how did your meet your boyfriend/girlfriend… those butterflies are everywhere!

Any science involved here? Believe it or not, yes. There are tons of things on the web, examples, experiences and if you're brave enough, even mathematical definitions and some real studies. If you spare a minute or two, you can surprise yourself. I even noticed this theory on the media, I bet you're begging to hear about the movie, I will say that it sets nicely the effects of people acts and their own future getting affected, but steering aside from THAT movie (I mean, the title itself is revealing enough) I like to think in this other movie… "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (minor spoiler alert!), somewhere in the middle of the movie a narrator explains us how a series of mundane events seemingly unrelated lead to a sad outcome (just like one of those series of cartoonish mechanisms involving a ball going around and activating all kinds of scales, strings and weights). If only one event is missed, then the outcome would be totally different.

So, next time you're doing something you actually want, think if any butterflies are preventing to mess up with your weather! What's your story? Leave a comment if you've lived anything like it. Is always nice to think people are going through same things we are! I leave a small background video if you want to know a bit more about this metaphor. See you next weekend!