Time and tide wait for no man

The doctrine of unintended consequences.

Recently, I came across this[1].

It is a recap of a Canadian TV show Continuum which tells a tale about time travel. It also touches upon the problems involved. What started as a skirmish in time between two factions has grown to be one crazy mess where anything is possible and everything hangs in the balance. The reason for that mess: unintended consequences.

The doctrine thereof is an easier version of chaos theory. Where chaos theory says that everything is in perfect balance and changing something no matter how small by interfering with the past will lead to... yes, chaos. To put it simply, say you go back in time and end up in an art school. You reject a few people who want to enrol because they are simply not good enough. Chaos theory suggests this would lead to total annihilation, everything everywhere would be in ruins. Life might persist, but might not. By the doctrine of unintended consequences all that happens is Hitler rises to power. Not that bad considering the alternative.

What it all leads up to is that you cannot always predict what happens when you choose to do something. How it affects others, how it affects what happens next. And in a linear world, you don't really need to, you don't care. Sure, what you intend to happen and what does happen doesn't exactly have to be similar, but you have to frame of reference. You don't know what would have happened if you chose to do any differently. Yes, fighting for your ideals may lead to death and destruction, but you don't what what would happen if you didn't. Until you see the results, you don't know whether or not you have caused any negative unintended consequences or not. Thus changing the past... you never know if you've succeeded until you are past the point of no return. Even the attempt to change something significant is a monumental risk.

All that is well and good, but most of us don't have the power to lead the world into chaos or prosperity. So the unintended consequences don't affect many people, whatever damage we may cause, it remains local. The risks are smaller, but so are the gains. Sometimes we get someone fired over something we did not intend to do, sometimes we get amazing offers just because we decided to take part in something. The best we can do is aim for something, do lots, and hope it works out. Yes, it can turn out badly but it is likely you cannot cause anything catastrophical. On the other hand, you risk more by doing nothing.