Jake Rowell P.

Mangin July 19, 2019

STEM-12

Connection Between Existentialism and Butterfly Effect

The concept referred to as the butterfly effect has been embraced by popular culture, where the
term is often used to emphasize the outsize significance of minute occurrences, as in the 1990
movie Havana, in which Robert Redford, playing the role of Jack Weil, a gambler with a knack for math,
proclaims to his costar, Lena Olin, that “a butterfly can flutter its wings over a flower in China and cause a
hurricane in the Caribbean.” Lorenz, the mild-mannered Massachusetts Institute of Technology
meteorology professor who developed the concept, never intended for it to be applied in this way. Indeed,
he meant to convey the opposite point. The purpose of his provocative question, he said, was to illustrate
the idea that some complex dynamical systems exhibit unpredictable behaviors such that small variances
in the initial conditions could have profound and widely divergent effects on the system’s outcomes.
Because of the sensitivity of these systems, outcomes are unpredictable. This idea became the basis for a
branch of mathematics known as chaos theory, which has been applied in countless scenarios since its
introduction.

Chaos theory explains that in mechanics and mathematics, the study of apparently random or
unpredictable behavior in systems governed by deterministic laws. Also, It teaches us to expect the
unexpected. While most traditional science deals with supposedly predictable phenomena like gravity,
electricity, or chemical reactions, Chaos Theory deals with nonlinear things that are effectively impossible
to predict or control, like turbulence, weather, the stock market, our brain states, and so on. This effect
grants the power to cause a hurricane in China to a butterfly flapping its wings in New Mexico. It may take
a very long time, but the connection is real. If the butterfly had not flapped its wings at just the right point
in space/time, the hurricane would not have happened. A more rigorous way to express this is that small
changes in the initial conditions lead to drastic changes in the results. Our lives are an ongoing
demonstration of this principle. Who knows what the long-term effects of teaching millions of kids about
chaos and fractals will be?

Another theory that explains butterfly effect is that the sociological theory explains that
Sociologists develop theories to explain social phenomena. A theory is a proposed relationship between
two or more concepts. In other words, a theory is explanation for why or how a phenomenon occurs. It
means that every phenomenon occurs there will be an explanation to every phenomenon. Perspective
and priorities, and set of human ideas that provide an explanation about human society.

The connection between existentialism and the butterfly effect is that the butterfly effect is a
theory that states that one small action can lead to a larger impact. Existentialism is the power to make
choices that will shape their life. Now, butterfly effect will be impossible without an existentialism will
because there will be no choices to be made. In other words, one must make a choice for it have an
everlasting impact.

Example of butterfly effect that explains this; A man was working in a company where he was
mistreated by his manager. After months of being disrespected by his arrogant boss he decided to quit.
Before the man left the company he spoke about it to the other employees, as a result the other
employees decided to quit too. When these people found themselves unemployed they decided to start
their own business. Later on, a lot of hard work their business become very successful and start competing
with the company they used to work for. Under pressure of the fierce competition the old company
declared bankruptcy! Didn’t you just notice the butterfly effect theory in that example: the mistreatment
of a single employee resulted in the bankruptcy of the company years later. This explains the butterfly
effect that states when a butterfly moves its wings it cause tornado somewhere in the world.

In my own understanding of these statement that butterfly effect has really drastically explains
that do not judge the person accordance to his works, because it has its own ability and strengths that
you’ll cannot find in others, just like the butterfly. The Butterfly Effect theory, coined by Edward Lorenz,
holds evidence for the idea that small, everyday actions can have a colossal impact on our world. Even in
a small mistake can create a greater impact blunders later. Everything we do, right from the time we wake
up to the time we sleep impact the next day’s work or even our future.

I believe it can be applied to my life in the sense that every event that has occurred in my life; big,
small, good or bad. I would not change anything, because they all came together to bring me to where I
am today. We as humans can never be too sure on what will the outcomes of our alternative decision that
we make. Which is why we should choose carefully when making decisions in life. A small or insignificant
difference can bring upon fatal consequence.

Added to this in chaos theory understandings that one choice that we will be made even small
initial differences can lead to unknowable consequences, if you do good, then the consequence will be
good and if you do bad, the consequence is the same.
References:

https://www.americanscientist.org/article/understanding-the-butterfly-effect

https://fractalfoundation.org/resources/what-is-chaos-theory/