Law of Causality
The ideas in this post are influenced by James Clear (Atomic Habits), Alex Hormozi (YouTube) and one my friends who has indirectly brought forward these concepts into my life.
Cause and Effect
Our environment works on the science behind cause-and-effect. For anything to happen, for any incident to occur, there is a cause.
As we try to achieve our missions, live up to our relentless ideals, or even just go to a coffee shop, there exists a sequence of actions which if done, will inevitably lead to us succeeding in these actions.
It is a mathematical formula of both inputs and the correct type of inputs.
Let us make an equation for the law of causality where on the left we have the cause and on the right we have the effect.
| Symbol | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
l |
Luck factor | Always > 0 if you’re alive and reading this |
a |
Actions required | Core driver |
n |
Negative actions | Oppose progress |
c |
Consistency | Multiplies effect |
t |
Time taken | Compounds quadratically |
b |
Beliefs | Can amplify or limit |
e |
Effect | The outcome |
l · ((a – n) · c^1.1 · b · t^2) = e
bcan have an inverse effect if it is limiting.
If you are reading this, your luck factor is greater than 0. It could be 0.0001, but it is not 0. You just have to do more of everything else.
If you were extremely lucky, you wouldn’t need anything else. But then again, you wouldn’t be reading this either.
Consistency is a hidden component ; With consistency you make yourself better and better.
Time compounds. The more time you spend, the greater the results will be.
Consistency
Consistency is the hidden multiplier. It doesn’t just add up—it magnifies the results of your actions. Even small actions, repeated daily, can create exponential growth.
Time
Time compounds everything. The more time you spend in the right direction, the more the results accelerate. Time rewards patience and punishes shortcuts.
Beliefs
Beliefs act as filters. Positive, empowering beliefs amplify effort; limiting beliefs suppress it. The mind often determines how far the body and actions can go.
You do the things required and do it for long enough without performing actions which retard you and you eventually succeed.
But here is the thing, our understanding of the time taken and the amount of required actions is distorted.
Social media shows us that success happens overnight by using Shopify. (No hate to Shopify I am just attempting to prove a point).
That is often not the case. Behind the curtains, the amount of required actions done consistently over the span of at least 3-4 years has caused that success.
Not because of their vehicle. Not because of their crazy beliefs (though that does play a role here).
It’s because they caused the effect. They caused the “overnight” success.
My Understanding
I like to understand the world from first principle thinking.
Breaking down something to its fundamental level allows me to truly understand it. This can help me form different mental models.
When I began to think like this, the law of causality became clear. Due to x actions in y time I get z product (i.e. effect).
If I press the accelerator of a car while on the highway, I will start speeding. If I click my pen, it will toggle from its current state. If I read a book, I acquire knowledge.
Again, it is our understanding of the volume of the inputs and the amount of time it takes is broken when we look at others. There are so many variables at play beyond this simple equation.
The law of causality explains why we are the way we are, why the world is the way it is, why there is rain and why there is drought.
The law of causality is man’s best friend.
Effort compounds. When you show up consistently, your actions stack and reinforce one another. This is why people who persist, even when their progress feels small, end up far ahead in the long run.
Implications in Relations, Achievement & Sabotage
Relations
If we were to undergo the exact same life circumstances as the person who has caused us great some harm, we will realize that we will inevitably end up like that person.
Nobody is good or evil, everybody is the same when we remove any and all experiences which are unique to an individual.
Causality effects (and is effecting) you right now.
Achievement
Alex Hormozi is a huge inspiration of mine. He displays what it truly takes to become #1 in whatever you do.
If you do what is required, whatever you want will happen.
There is no doubting results. Results cannot be faked (at least not by a group of thousands of people at a time).
This is why I do not go out to vape or mess around like the other kids - if I do what they do I will end up like them.
If I do what others did to achieve what I want, I will achieve it no matter what.
Sabotage
This ties back to both relations and achievement. Our beliefs stem from our environment and our past experiences.
Unless you have the ability to rewind time and alter your environment, the next best thing you can do is change it right now.
This is what I did - I surrounded myself with people (both online and in-person) who I want to be more like.
If you have limiting beliefs, they will end you. They will stop you from being who you want. Limiting beliefs limit actions, trust and consistency.
When nothing works, you want to quit.
Changing environments changes that behavior.
Conclusion
It is vital that we understand the law of causality as it is.
As human beings, this law helps us truly understand how our environment works and forms the basis to make new discoveries.