In 1961, the meterologist Edward Lorenz was creating theoretical models of tornadoes when he discovered something incredulous.

Lorenz found that the factors for a tornado to occur were so specific that any minuscule changes to initial weather conditions would drastically transform a forecast. When he rounded an initial condition from 0.506127 to 0.506, the model transformed into something entirely different.

Soon, he posited that if a butterfly flapped its wings several weeks earlier, the fluctuations in the atmosphere was enough to drastically transform the time, place and path of destruction of a present-day tornado. This finding led to the term the butterfly effect, whereby a sensitive change in the initial conditions of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. In other words, small actions now can have great consequences later.

No matter how minuscule, the effects of doing anything has an infinitely greater force than doing nothing. Our actions create changes in the atmosphere, whether we like it or not.

This means that small acts of kindness can manifest in amazing good. A smile beats cold indifference by a huge margin. Indeed, I’ve had average days brightened up by a small, unexpected smile from a passing stranger, one that says, I don’t know what you’re going through, but I’m cheering you on. The transformation is palpable.

But this also means small acts of spite can manifest in overwhelming destruction. One hateful comment might only take two seconds to utter but can have devastating consequences. It’s well-documented that child abuse increases one’s risk of suicide, substance abuse, aggression, homelessness and developmental problems in their adult lives. And interviews of people with child abuse often reveal a story involving repeated acts of neglect and trauma. One beating or curse may have been harmless in itself, but the cumulative effect is devastating.

Some historians attribute Adolf Hitler’s desire of genocide as stemming from him being rejected from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, twice. How much tragedy could’ve been avoided if Hitler applied himself to watercolors instead of genocide? Perhaps a great deal. That decision from the Academy’s board, while quiet in the moment, could have completely transformed the course of history.

We are all flapping our wings in the breeze. The changes may not be evident now, but tiny decisions can lead to incredible consequences.

From Benjamin Franklin:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of a rider the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.