A sharing by Ling Sing Lin
Many of us have heard of the butterfly effect, whereby a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world can cause a typhoon in another part of the world. How can that be?
In reality, it actually means that small things can have non linear impacts on a complex system. The butterfly is a symbolic representation of an unknown quantity. A small change in starting conditions can change the outcome. The butterfly has the potential to create tiny changes, which, while not creating a typhoon, could alter its trajectory.
Small events can serve as catalysts, giving the initial ”push”, which causes the system to modify its course or its behavior, and adjust, perhaps in a different direction, and as the difference compounds over time, can ultimately result in a big difference in the outcome.
Leverage
Butterfly effect is often misused as being synonymous with leverage. Leverage is just the idea of a small thing that has a big impact.
Butterfly effect is much more complex than leverage. It is a small thing in a complex system, which can ultimately result in a massive impact, or no impact at all! It is impossible to know the outcome, whether zero impact, or massive impact.
Planting Seeds
The butterfly effect reminds me of the Christian concept of “planting seeds”. In our lives, sharing the gospel is not the only way to plant seeds. Your attitude, behavior and kindness shown, especially to strangers, can have an impact that you could never dream of. This “beneficiary” of your kindness may, over the course of time, with the “plant being watered” by other people, eventually become not just a Christian, but a pastor or missionary who can reap a huge harvest. You may have heard such testimonies.
This story of an ordinary person who ultimately becomes a pastor or missionary may not appear as phenomenal as a butterfly effect, but it is still huge.
“Planting seeds” is also similar to the butterfly effect in that there is no guarantee that the seeds you planted will actually sprout and thrive. There can be zero effect, no plant growth at all, similar to the butterfly effect.
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
