In popular culture, the term “butterfly effect” is almost always misused. It has become synonymous with “leverage” – the idea of a small think that has a bing impact, with the implication that, like a lever, it can be manipulated to a desired end. This misses the point of [Edward] Lorenz’s insight. The reality is that small things in a complex system may have no effect or a massive one, and it is virtually impossible to know which will turn out to be the case.
Stanley McChrystal, Team of Teams
