Cause and effect are a continuous cycle. A cause triggers a result. That result then becomes a new cause, which will trigger another result. And become another cause with another result. On and on. Over and over. Ad infinitum. This chain not only affects us but others as well. We do something and it affects someone with us. In their response to us, they affect someone else. This creates a wave-like response of cause and effect that moves out in an ever-widening circle. The ripple effect of one drop of water splashing in the ocean thus results in all the other drops of water in the ocean moving.