T.B.E.

You know, the butterfly effect is a very popular theory, but it gets overlooked by many people on a daily basis. Simply put, every action has a major impact that plays out endlessly over the course of time, no matter how good or bad your intentions may be. You could save someone's life by simply telling them that they look good and in doing so, you could save an entire bloodline, which would stem from that person and his or her eventual partner. But then what happens to the bloodline? What if, eventually, that bloodline turns out to be the cause of nuclear warfare? On the flip side, what if you didn't tell that person that they look good and then he or she killed him or herself? It's a very negative and morbid thing to think about, but you could have saved the world by simply overlooking that person. Of course, the exact opposite could be said about the same situation. You could be saving or killing good people, too. You may not save or kill anyone. You may cause that person to look at life more positively, which may impact their drive to invent crazy technology or something. You may just make a new friend, who may ultimately introduce you to the person you're meant to be with for the rest of your life. Hell, the person may end up becoming that person! The possibilities of the butterfly effect are endless, though and range from simply stepping on a flower to outright taking someone's life. Every single one of your actions has a massive impact on the way of the world in some way or another.

So, I wonder how my own actions have impacted the lives of others and the fate of our race? Have I caused the inevitable downfall of the world? Have I saved any lives? Have I set anything big in motion? Have I created a masterpiece? Maybe I've destroyed someone else's masterpiece. I don't know, but I think about this stuff on a daily basis. Any time I speak or take so much as one step, I'm thinking about how those words or steps are going to change someone's world.

This stuff is mind blowing. I don't think that any person can truly fathom the exact scope of the butterfly effect. We can understand the principle, but there's nothing we can do about it. It's just the way of the world. This is how things work and I think people need to open their eyes and start caring a bit more about what they say and do. Just some food for thought.

Take care.

-SM