What is the Butterfly bias?
In a complex system, a slight change in the initial conditions can yield completely different or even opposite results. Small actions can have non-proportional consequences.
That is the reason that is called a butterfly bias because there has been scientific proof that a small flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil can set off a tornado in Texas.
Applied this concept in day's life means that any of our decisions might have a huge impact regardless of its apparent relevance.
How does the Butterfly bias influence my life?
Usually, we assume that our actions are harmless or irrelevant, but a small event can result in a chain reaction that triggers greater events.
Our decisions might significantly impact ourselves and others because everything is connected. We can't be surprised when we realise the consequences of some of our choices.
What can I do about it?
To be aware of the potential impact of any action, an open mind with the capacity to identify subtle relations between different elements is critical. However, it is impossible to predict the future and exercise total control over it.
This might induce the feeling that what we do is irrelevant but, surprisingly, is the other way around because all the actions count. This apparent contradiction means that we shouldn't be obsessed with the flow of the events but very active to contribute to steering them in the desired direction.
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Because we’re re-solved to advance. We have the re-solution to advance
- Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas? The answer is yes! (Lorenz:
- Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World - Stanley McChrystal (Autor), Tantum Collins (Autor), David Silverman (Autor), Chris Fussell (Autor)
- The Misbehavior of Markets: A Fractal View of Financial Turbulence Annotated Edition Benoit Mandelbrot, Richard L Hudson