Using butterfly power – the lesson of subtle influence. These ideas come from the work of Edward Lorenz. The underlying theory is all connected to the mathematical feedback loop and the multiplied effect of error – but this all begins to sound a bit technical!

The problem here is that people assume they know what the butterfly power reference means because Chaos Theory has been popularised by this connection. However the reality is that it isn’t about one butterfly but rather it is accepting the idea that most self-organised systems are laced with a myriad of butterflies (google tells me that the collective noun for butterflies might be flight or flutter or rabble or rainbow).  So Chaos Theory tells us that a rainbow of butterflies are exerting subtle influence within most self-organised systems.

So what does this mean? What is the lesson here?

Subtle influence  is what individuals exert, both good and bad, simply by who we are and the way we respond. When we are negative or dishonest this exerts that subtle influence, quite apart from the direct impact experienced by others. Our underlying attitude creates a climate for those we exert that subtle influence over. “We help supply the nutrients for the soil where others grow”.

In its positive sense, subtle influence is vital for keeping systems open – those same systems within which the creative possibilities of Lesson 1 are building.

So these ideas – this new concept of subtlety – gives us a way of understanding the difference between beneficial and malignant influence. That subtlety includes the fact that butterfly power is, of its very nature, unpredictable. We have a choice.

Positive butterfly power is achieved when individuals participate to channel their contribution for this end. So what would happen if “we approach the inauthenticity of our own environments with the spirit of positive butterflies?” The best we can do is act with truth, sincerity, and sensitivity, remembering that it is never one person who brings about significant change but the feedback of change within the entire system.

Chaos theory suggests that consciousness is an open system like the weather. Consciousness is a vortex too. Scientists have done research around this idea e.g. the work done on the communities of monkeys in Asia where one community exhibits a new method of food collection and within a short period of time another community of the same type of monkeys, many thousands of kilometres away, starts to use the same method!

So let’s put Lesson 1 and 2 together and we get… every butterfly who chooses to step into the vortex while making use of their positive subtle influence, can, through butterfly power, be that one individual (enabled by the vortex) or a part of a small group of individuals, who can deeply and subtly influence the entire world.

Can we see how this is worked out everyday at school – in every classroom? The subtle influence of the individuals within that classroom are creating the environment within which rich, deep learning is possible or chaos of the most damaging kind can be happening. All those butterflies have choices, but the subtle influence of the teacher can be the determinant of the quality of the soil within which the students are growing.

Meanwhile, more than ever before, we can connect to other classrooms, other users of positive subtle influence, and improve the soil for other children to grow as well.

How will you use your subtle influence?

Lesson 3 coming soon.