If Things Were Different, They Might Not Be The Same

A year ago, I told you that if things were different, then they wouldn't be the same. It's still true, but there is more to the story than that. Often times, the point of our stories is that outcomes are independent of the circumstances going into them, or that all possible circumstances lead to the same outcome.

Stories dealing with fate generally use this idea. No matter how many do-overs a person gets, no matter what they try to avoid their fate, it will always lead to the foretold outcome. If you want to be particularly twisted, you go the Oedipus route and make it such that every action a character takes to avoid their fate are what actually makes it occur.

Sometimes, though, it's far less ironic. Sometimes, when we play the what-if game too much, we lose track of relationships. "How might my life be different if I never went to college" is a very different question from "How might my life be different if I never had that sandwich" (assuming it was an inconsequential sandwich).

Also, not everything is related. If you chose to become a mathematician because of an amazing teacher you had in high school, then it doesn't matter whether you played hockey or basketball as an extracurricular activity; you would still have taken the same math class.

If things were different, they might not be the same. The what-if game is great to play. It's still a fantastic way to come up with potential ideas. Just know that not every change will have a significant impact. That's why you want to find the choices that give the most bang for your buck.