There is a popular belief that one small change can make much bigger changes happen,
one small incident can have a big impact on the future. This theory is known
as the butterfly effect. The little decisions we make in life matter more than we think they do.
There is a Danny Phantom episode that demonstrates this concept very well.
It’s called The Ultimate Enemy, and it is a 48 minute special. After I rewatched this
episode for the first time in years, it got me thinking about the small choices I make in life.
I think this is a very entertaining episode. It’s definitely darker than I remember it being.
The thing this though, this special is heavily centered around time travel,
and if I tried to explain it all, it would get very confusing, so to save your time
and my time, here’s the simplified version of the story:
It was just an ordinary day, a major exam known as the CAT’s are coming up at Danny’s high school,
and he is pressured to do well on the test if he knows what’s good for his future. After a
fight at the Nasty Burger fast food chain, the answers to the CAT conveniently find its way to
him. Little does Danny know, his, and everyone’s future depends on this one important decision.
Does he look at the answers, to ultimately cheat on the test, or does he return the answers and study legitimately?
It seems like such a harmless choice, cause all the dude really wants is to pass at the end of the day, but unfortunately he does fall victim to the butterfly effect.
So what happens? We fast forward to the day he takes the test, and finishes it before anyone in the class,
which is highly suspicious to the teacher. So he calls Danny’s parents to inform them
of their child’s immoral actions. They all meet up at the Nasty Burger, since
the teacher wants to make a point this is where students end up if they fail all their classes,
or if they’re cheaters like Danny Fenton. This parent teacher conference turns into
a complete disaster as a malfunction in the restaurant causes a giant explosion.
Danny’s family, his teacher, and his friends all DIE in the explosion. RIP… They all died so
quickly, they felt no pain, but unfortunately, the same can’t be said for poor Danny.
Having to live with the guilt that the tragic deaths of his loved ones could have been
avoided had he just done the right thing, and everyone on Earth blaming him for the tragedies,
it was too much for Danny to handle. So as a last resort, he goes to Vlad, his arch-nemesis,
and the only person left on the planet who could possibly hope to understand his situation.
All he wants is to make the pain go away, so Vlad honors his wishes by using his technology
to rip the human emotions out of him, but sadly, this also turns into a complete disaster,
as Vlad mistakenly rips out the ghost version of Danny, he rips out the ghost version of Vlad,
and both ghosts join together to create an evil version of Danny Phantom.
One so evil, that he not only kills his human self, but he also takes over the entire world.
I told you this episode was going to be dark. And yes, all of that happened just because
Danny cheated on a test.
Thankfully, that’s not how the story ends. Of course, the Danny from the past learns about
his fate and does everything possible to prevent this future from happening throughout the episode.
We fast forward to the final scene where he does end up defeating his future self,
and while he doesn’t make it in time to save his family, a ghost who has the power to control
time generously saves them, as a reward for him changing his mind about cheating
on the test. They go back in time to the point when Danny’s class take the CATs. The time ghost
gives him a second chance to return the answers to its rightful owner, so without hesitation,
Danny does the right thing, preventing any of his future drama from ever happening.
As you may have noticed by now, Danny’s future was not predetermined, and he had the power to
alter his fate. I know it’s just a cartoon, but I am of the belief that we all have that same power,
that same control over our lives. Our future does not have to be dark and depressing if we don’t
allow it to be. And if this episode is anything to go by: It’s that one small change is all it takes.
Understanding the power of the butterfly effect can transform your entire life. It’s one of the
reasons why when people think they are not that important to actually make a difference
in the world, it just isn’t true. For instance, you could say one random thing to a stranger,
without realizing that something as simple as a recognition was enough to start a sequence
of events that completely turns that person’s life around. You could upload a simple video
on social media, and not even realize you just created the spark someone needed to make THEIR
video that ultimately inspires thousands of people to express their creative side of themselves
as well. For me personally, understanding this theory changed the way I look at life.
Even if you thought you already mattered, you probably matter a 100 times more than you think you do.
I know this story was dark, but don’t be afraid of the butterfly effect. Instead,
use it to your advantage. Do one small thing today that your future self will thank you for.