The Butterfly Effect Comes to Life

Have you ever heard of the ‘butterfly effect’? In simple terms, it refers to small changes in one system or area leading to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of another area or system. The example I have most often heard to describe this theory is that a butterfly flapping its wings in Mexico can cause a hurricane in China. You get the idea.

While the ‘butterfly effect’, like any theory, sounds good on paper, it is sometimes hard to imagine it having a real and lasting impact on your life. Well…the butterfly effect came to life for me in the past couple of months.

Perhaps you are aware of the still-unfolding, geo-political situation surrounding Canada detaining, and recently releasing, Meng Wanzhou, Hauwei’s CFO. While Ms. Wanzhou has finally returned to China after several years of detainment in Canada, the diplomatic outfall of the situation will no doubt be felt for years to come.

Like many people, I never knew Ms. Wanzhou. I still don’t. Even though I was aware of the global significance of Ms. Wanzhou’s detainment, I never thought it would affect me directly…until last month.

One of the joys of my life over the past three years has been teaching English as a second language to Chinese children (online). I have grown to truly enjoy my time with the children and feel inspired by spending time with them.

Since August, the Chinese government has slowly been restricting the teaching of Chinese children by foreign teachers. These restrictions have come in the form of new legislation aimed at companies (whether domestic or foreign) that offer Chinese parents the opportunity to teach their children English. Along the way, credible news sources such as BBC, Bloomberg, and the New York Times, have provided some insightful analysis of the unfolding decisions by the Chinese government. The impact of the Chinese governments regulations is that hundreds of thousands of English teachers around the world (mostly Canada and the US) have lost their jobs.

Did the situation with Meng Wanshou influence the Chinese government’s decision to restrict foreign teachers from teaching Chinese children? Some news sources (previously stated) say yes, directly. Other news sources say ‘indirectly’. According to these same news source, the Chinese government’s new education regulations would not have come into affect if Meng Wangshou had not been detained.

So…I never knew Meng Wanshou, I still don’t, and I never met her. But according to credible news sources, the decimation of the English as A second language industry globally—an industry worth 100s of billions of dollars annually—has been as a result of the events surrounding Mang Wanshou.

What all the preceding has emphasized for me is how we are all interconnected. What we say, what we do, dare I say what we think, affects everyone, everywhere. We may never know the impact of our words, our actions, our thoughts. And we certainly may never meet the people we affect, but everything we do, in every minute of every day, affects the entire world.

The preceding experience has been a clarion call for me to practice kindness and love with everyone I meet. I may never know how my kindness and love impacts others, and that’s okay, but I’d much rather my kindness and love affect people than the alternative!

Robert Meagher has been ordained as an Interfaith Minister and certified as a Sacred Attention Therapy (SAT) Therapist. Robert is the Founder and Spiritual Director for Spiritual Guidance and Co-Founder of the Center for Human Awakening.