By this point, you most likely have heard at least one person mention 13 Reasons Why in a conversation, or hopefully better yet, have even seen the latest Netflix series yourself (and if you haven't, you most definitely should). Have no fear, I won't spoil anything for you if you've deprived yourself from watching the most binge-worthy show of the century, but I will relay a specific line from one of the episodes which stood out to me the most, and that was: "Everything affects everything." Such a simple, yet overrated statement.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the term "butterfly effect," it is a concept which essentially means that small causes can produce large effects. In the show, the term is used to refer to how saying seemingly insignificant things can have a ripple effect and produce unforeseen consequences. Even though I can't fully empathize with what the protagonist goes through in this particular show, I love that the show has brought more awareness to the idea of saying or doing something without thinking beforehand.
Everything affects everything.
Everything we listen to or watch affects what we say.
Everything we say affects what we do.
Everything we do affects other people.
It can be oh-so easy to only focus on ourselves during this day and time and not think twice about letting out a sly remark that we think is funny at the time. What you and I have to realize, though, is that not everyone has the same level of understanding or sense of humor that you do, and if you don't know someone well enough it can easily be misinterpreted or taken out of context.
The truth of the matter is that you can never fully know what someone else is going through or what their feelings may be. If we're unintentional with our words and actions, we could end up traveling through life hurting other people's feelings without even realizing it, which could emotionally scar someone else without us even being aware. As cliche as it sounds, think before you speak. Be conscious with your words, and don't get so consumed with yourself that you don't take time to evaluate how the things you say and what you do affect those around you.
Because little things have great effects.
