Theory Of Chaos: A Flap Of A Butterfly’s Wings Changes Everything
Chaos theory is a law enunciated by James Yorke and which reminds us of an essential fact : the world does not follow a precise and predictable model; Whether we like it or not, chaos also harbors in our lives, this small space left to chance, where it is almost impossible to predict the effect of certain events.
It is quite common to associate chaos theory with its parent branches: mathematics and physics. However, we often forget that these sciences have a direct implication on our daily life, indeed there are very few areas that have the same impact on our behavior and our knowledge.
James Yorke himself sums up the importance of his theory in one simple sentence: one must be prepared to change plans at any moment.
Each of us has a certain degree of tolerance towards uncertainty. Starting from a certain threshold, our brain goes into “alert mode” to what can happen.
We prefer stability, knowing that two plus two equals four and that what surrounds us and we have today will also be in our tomorrow. All this offers us an emotional balance thanks to which we can enjoy life, keeping everything under control.
However, chaos theory holds proof. Life and its flow do not correspond to the rhythmic and perfect advance of a clock. The unpredictable and the uncontrollable are always found in and around us.
It is that sword of Damocles that can strike us at any moment. It is that butterfly that flies over the United States today and later arrives in Europe in the form of an economic crisis. It is that white ball that we hit in billiards and that hits the other balls making them move, sometimes in unexpected directions …
The theory of chaos: nature is unpredictable
Chaos theory tells us that the outcome of an event depends on several variables: those whose behavior is not always predictable with total accuracy. There is always a margin for error, a space for chaos, a flapping of wings that changes everything at the last moment. Because, sometimes, a small difference generates an effect of large proportions .
There are those who argue that chaos theory represents one of the most wonderful areas of modern mathematics. That science tries to predict the behavior of inherently unpredictable systems.
We can imagine the reactions to this theory since, until recently, the purpose of the scientific world was to eliminate the variable of uncertainty in order to accurately describe the behavior of almost anything.
However, nowadays we accept this margin in which chance and the unpredictable can, in a given moment, change everything. In fact, this was discovered by the meteorologist and mathematician Edward Lorenz in 1961 when he tried to create a computer system to predict the weather. Suddenly he realized that, due to an approximation error in the numbers, the whole system had begun to exhibit clearly unpredictable behavior. Later this experience served him to formulate the famous butterfly effect .
Chaos is constantly between us
Chaotic phenomena abound not only in nature, but even occur in biology. There is no area exempt from this unpredictable behavior.
From this eye where, at a given moment, chance and the golden thread of the unpredictable are inserted. Chaotic phenomena occur every day almost without realizing it: in economics, thermodynamics, astronomy and even psychology.
We currently know that any small disturbance in our brain (such as the alteration of a neurotransmitter) can result in very drastic changes in our behavior. Even in psychiatry the theory of chaos is accepted. Sometimes, when giving a drug to a patient, there is a small chance that the observed effect is the opposite of the expected one.
How to apply chaos theory to everyday life?
In our daily lives we all need to avoid chaos. Only in this way do we feel safe, only in this way can we build a life where the foreseeable allows us to leave the house without fear and be able to look to the future with confidence. As James Yorke, the father of this theory, explains, the best thing to do is to be ready to change plans at any moment.
In some ways, this principle is closely related to another current theory. We are talking about the theory of the black swan, formulated by the essayist, economist and mathematician Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
In his interesting book, which goes by the same name as his theory, he reminds us that most of us are subordinated to a worldview where everything, at first glance, seems predictable. However, in a given moment, the unexpected arises, the unpredictable, the chaotic … that wind we did not expect. An unpredictable event that we are forced to accept and rationalize.
It must be said, however, that instead of acting only when this chaos unfolds before our eyes, we should be prepared. James Yorke reminds us that the people who achieve success and happiness are the ones who always have a plan “B” at hand.
Let us strive to develop a flexible mindset and an approach that goes beyond reacting to events. Let us embrace them with curiosity and acceptance, for many times it is in chaos that opportunities arise. At the end of the day, being ready for the unexpected means moving along with the same ups and downs of life.
