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Credit: Tony Colle Thought: What are Unintended Consequences? Newton’s Third Law of Motion says that for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. Push on the wall and it pushes back. As air rushes out of a balloon (action), the balloon flies forward (reaction). However this rule is not limited just to the world of physics. This law also shows up in other forms. We acknowledge this when we say that actions have consequences (reactions). In our world we also see what we call “cause and effect”. I cut my hand (cause) and I bleed (effect). Sometimes effects or consequences can be measured as in the blast pattern of an explosion, but sometimes they can’t, as in the affect that an unkind word has on another. Most actions have some intended reaction or consequence but often the deed does not have its full effect without some result that was not fully expected or was not planned. These are the unintended consequences. In our personal lives, unintended consequences happen all the time. Why does “no good deed go unpunished”? Unintended consequences. You try to do a good thing but it turns out wrong through no fault of your own. You won the lottery but millions of other people lost. Good news for you but bad news for them. Very often unintended negative consequences happen out of good motives. We have a drought here in the South. We’re asked to not use our toilets, showers and sinks as much. Unfortunately, stuff collects in the sewer pipes because there’s not enough water to push it into the sewer system and pipes back up. We are asked to use rain barrels for watering plants but standing water breeds mosquitoes. For safety, we hope for an ice free winter but the flea eggs are killed by frost. We also see unintended consequences very often in politics. Government wants to help people who are late with mortgage payments so it mandates a freeze on interest rates. The intended consequence is that people who maybe bought houses that were too big for their wallets or “qualified” for mortgages that they really should not have can keep their homes. The unintended consequence is that mortgage companies stop lending because they don’t have the money because it was frozen by the government in bad loans. In another case, the economy may be tight so the government gives “rebate” checks. People have more money to spend or pay off debt. Unfortunately, the government now has to borrow the money and our national debt rises and will put a burden on the children of the people the government wanted to help. Can we avoid unintended consequences? Probably not. You’d have to have perfect knowledge of every atom, electron, quark and human thought to plan for or accommodate every consequence. At best we must go with the flow and do the best we can. Be careful what you wish for and make the best, well-reasoned decision you can and hang on for the ride. |