Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Chaos Theory Essay

Essay on Chaos Theory

Chaos is defined in the dictionary as turmoil, turbulence, primordial abyss, and undesired randomness. Scientists describe it as something extremely sensitive to initial conditions. Chaos also refers to the question of whether or not something can be predicted in long-term scenarios accurately or not.

I believe that the Chaos Theory is the base for all human behavior. This theory is most often used in conjunction with the formation of the universe and not human behavior. I will in the next few pages try to show you just how closely it relates to human behavior. I will begin with a short background of the theory, showing it’s base elements. Then I will conclude with my own hypothesis on why I feel that this theory best represents human behavior patterns.

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Determinism is the belief that every action is the result of preceding actions. Sir Isaac Newton use determinism for his Newtonian model of the universe. The model is often described as a game of pool. The player strikes the balls causing them to scatter random directions. In reality they move in deterministic patterns, each following their path caused by the preceding action.

Henri PoincarŠ¹ was considered the “Father of Chaos Theory.” In his research he discover that a fixed three body system had a deterministic pattern. However, if a small change was made in the placement of a body it may lead to a radically different outcome than the original undisturbed system.

Chaotic systems are unstable. Two sets of nearly the same initial conditions will end up with two very separate final conditions. For example, if identical twin boys that had been raised in the same manner, came across a hornet’s nest. One may see the beauty of how the nest was constructed and may grow up to study insects for a living. The other boy may get stung by one of the hornets and may grow up to be a bug exterminator. The boys seeing the nest was a very small action in their life but can cause a great difference in its outcome.

The Chaos Theory is a new study when compared to other theory’s because of the complexity of the equations it takes to study it. Before computers, it could take years for a group of people to set up the equations to prove what one man and a computer can now do in minutes.

Now that I have gave some of the background of the Chaos Theory I will try to explain my own theory in why Chaos is the main background of human behavior. There are many working theories that are used in explaining human behavior. All theories have their pros and cons to why they are best to describe human behavior. My belief is that under all these theories whether they are environment related or genetic related, the base of all of them has to start with the Chaos theory.

No two people with meet the same two people, hear the same sounds, see the same things, and touch the same items, at the exact same time in their lives. This is the base of chaos.

I would like to discuss some examples of chaos in our lives and how it changes our behavior. Everyone can relate to the terrorist act on 09/11/2002. It was a terrible tragedy in all our lives. This chaotic act changed everyone’s lives forever. Besides the obvious changes there are smaller changes in our behavior. For example, before 9/11 everyone I know including myself, complained about delays at the airport. The baggage checks and waiting in line to get through the metal detectors were considered a nuisance. Now with all the extra security and delays, even the people who complained the most are saying they don’t mind the delays and are glad to have the security checks. This is a classic example of how chaos changes and molds human behavior.

Peer pressure is another classic example of how chaos molds human behavior. I was raised in a backwoods country setting. There were strict rules on behavior. You always answered with yes maam or yes sir, you never talked back to your mother, and you never cursed in the presence of lady. I try to follow these rules even today, but, with not much success. I fell into the trap of peer pressure. The kids around me as I grew up called these rules “Baby Rules.” I found myself wanting to prove to them I was not a baby. I began to curse at school and backtalk my parents. I knew this was wrong but I wanted to fit in with the crowd. Peer pressure shows how one chaotic thought can form a well organized social behavior. I want to point out that not all chaos is bad. Peer pressure can be a positive influence as well. My son Jacob is nine years old and is a Webelo in the cub scouts. It has been a great influence on his manners and his behavior. Not all pressure is from the kids around him. Jacob is in troop 322. Jacob’s great grandfather started this troop.

Jacob’s grandfather was a scout in it and became a scoutmaster. Jacob’s uncle and father were both scouts in it as well. This is a historical pressure that the other kids do not have. This shows how a small event, in the case the starting of a Boy Scout troop, can change the behavior of an entire family lineage.

I believe that some people think chaos is the weakness in our society. Some people label chaos as only evil in nature. They claim this as a reason why we have people with such chaotic behavior as Charles Manson and Jeffrey Dahmer. They are correct in my opinion to a point. What some of these people don’t realize is that chaos is not good or evil. It is a simple change in your life, positive or negative, that leads you toward a new future. Chaos is also why we have Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton.

Some people will argue that it is a genetic reason for these famous people. Some will say it is free will that caused Einstein to strive in his career. Some will say it is environment that caused Henry Ford to build his car. But what caused this genetic sequence to happen? Why doesn’t everyone in Mozart’s family have the ability to compose music? What caused Einstein’s free will to move toward theories instead of toward being a car mechanic? Why didn’t everyone in Florence Nightingale’s neighborhood become a nurse? The one theory that can explain every question is the Chaos theory.

In researching human behavior I have read several different theories. With each theory I tried to think of a realistic scenario that would disprove that this theory would work for every humans behavior. In most cases the research had the pros and cons of the theory so I was able to disprove that it would work for everyone. The reason why I believe the Chaos theory best describes human behavior is that it does work for every human being.

It of course can be disproved through mathematics, but not in real life. You must remember that it can be proved through mathematics that a bumblebee cannot fly but in real life it seems to do rather well.

I hope I have explained this theory so that you can see the reasons behind my choice for Chaos as the best theory to describe human behavior. I believe in my opinion that Chaos is the beginning of all behavior. Once that chaotic moment has then it may be guided by other theories such as genetics, or free will.

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