The Butterfly Effect

The butterfly effect is a term used in Chaos Theory to describe how tiny variations can affect giant and complex systems, like weather patterns. The term butterfly effect was applied in Chaos Theory to suggest that the wing movements of a butterfly might have significant repercussions on wind strength and movements throughout the weather systems of the world, and theoretically, could cause tornadoes halfway around the world.

The term “butterfly effect” is attributed to Edward Norton Lorenz, a mathematician and meteorologist, who was one of the first proponents of Chaos Theory. Though he had been working on the theory for about ten years, with the principal question as to whether a seagull’s wing movements can change the weather, he changed to the more poetic butterfly in 1973.

In human behavior, one can certainly see how small changes could render behavior, or another complex system, extremely unpredictable. Small actions or experiences stored in the unconscious mind, could certainly affect a person’s behavior in unexpected ways.