What is "The Art of Unintended Consequences"?
The Consequences are Real. The Art is About the Stories to Get There!
We’ve all had those nagging little thoughts…
“If I hadn’t made that wrong turn, I would have made that job interview on time. I really think I would have gotten the job if I hadn’t been late.”
That’s a simple one, but we can never really know the answer. What if we dig a little deeper into the bigger consequences these little events have in our lives? For instance…
Would NOT getting that job have resulted in the subject of our tale being bolder and applying for and getting his true dream job?
Would that job then have led him to a fabulous career of fame and fortune?
Would the end result be a long life ending with his large, loving family standing by his bedside as he passed peacefully into the dark night after an incredibly fulfilling life?
—> OR <—
Would that wrong turn have delayed him just long enough for his life-trajectory to merge with the life-trajectory of a tired commuter who didn’t see the red light?
Would the horrifying accident resulting from that life-altering intersection of two lives have resulted in him being paralyzed from the waist down?
Would he have sunk into a deep despair from which he never recovered?
—> OR <—
Having been paralyzed, would he have turned his attention to a more focused mental life?
Would that focus have led him to starting a highly successful business helping the handicapped?
Would that success have given him the confidence to seek out a bigger life, love, and to ultimately build a large, loving family?
Would the accident eventually be considered a blessing in disguise?
There are so many ways our lives can turn in just a singular moment. A glance. A smile. A decision to stop or go on that yellow light. We can make choices. We can make mistakes. But we can never know what the consequences of any event that touches us might lead to.
A Theorem
So, if we can never really know how these bits of life may alter the trajectory of our lives, what’s the point? What if instead we start with the end result and work our way back to the root events that led to that result?
Would that give us any insight?
We’ve heard the stories a thousand times. A drug addict hits rock bottom and then turns his life around to end up helping others. We never would have heard about the drug addict (except as a statistic). However, we do hear about the man who turned his life around to help others.
The real story then becomes the transformation and the events that led to it. The genesis may have been just a kind word or a helping hand that made the difference. Or, it might have been triggered by a near end-of-life event.
Why Read This?
We may not be able to predetermine the outcomes of our actions, but we can make choices in the trajectory of our lives. No matter the circumstances, we can choose to embrace them, to treat them as a challenge to be overcome, or we can be destroyed by them.
If we can learn from the stories of others who have been impacted by Unintended Consequences, maybe we will better understand how the choices we make at each interaction in our lives will drive the outcomes of those we touch.
If we learn to make little nudges in other people’s lives, maybe that could change the trajectory of what they are experiencing. Or not. We can never know, that’s the fun of it.
These are the Stories behind the facts of events that shape us. They are engaging, entertaining, and sometimes quite surprising.
What’s coming
Unintended Consequences has both a lighter side and a darker side. You never know where the story might lead.
In the coming months you will read about…
The amazing boy who was on his way to changing the world, but the simplest thing undid him.
How a bee changed the face of American politics forever.
The bad sausage that saved a life.
A bad habit that led to an unexpected family.
Lottery winnings that led to bankruptcy, betrayal, and death.
And many more amazing tales.
If you read nothing else in this Substack, I recommend you read “The ‘What If’ Machine”. Would you really want to know what the consequences of your actions would be before you act on them? The answer might not be what you think.
I’ll Show You Mine if You Tell Me Yours
I would love for you to share your own experiences resulting from unintended consequences. I might develop your story into a wonderful or terrifying tale of events with unexpected outcomes. All of my stories here are TRUE… well, mostly true. I am a writer after all.
If you don’t have a good tale, maybe you’ve heard of one that would make a great addition to our collection here. Try me, I love to hear about these.
Subscribe now for free and see what the consequences of your action might be.
Adventure awaits!
David Nemzoff
Author, Consultant, Wonderer of “What If ?”
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nemzoff/
Author of “Public Speaking for Kids, Tweens, and Teens - Confidence for Life!”
Coming soon, my new book exploring the reformation of our Educational System. Subscribe to be one of the first to know when my new book is published.
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This is a sad story of unexpected consequences. We had one child but, being unrepentant liberals, we wanted to adopt an older child and give them a better life. The boy we adopted was 6 and we knew going forward would not be easy, but our idealism won. He is now 43 and we gave up long ago hoping for anything other than he didn’t become homeless or in prison. In the beginning we had wonderful dreams, but because of early life abuse and neglect, he rejected, often violently, all of our efforts. About six months ago, I let him go and stopped trying to help him. He is on disability and lives independently. This was not what I expected but I accept it now.
My life was changed by a sweatshirt, or rather the sweatshirt I chose not to wear on a day where it changed everything. By the way, that egg graphic is just the best!