Unintended consequence

Unintended consequences can be either

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• positive, in which case we get serendipity or windfalls
• source of problems, according to the Murphy's law
• definitively negative: perverse effect, which is the opposite result to the one intended

The Law of Unintended Consequences holds that almost all human actions have at least one unintended consequence. In other words, each cause has more than one effect including unforeseen effects. The idea was originated by sociologist Robert K. Merton and is sometimes referred to as the Law of Unforeseen Consequences.

Related Topics:
Cause - Effect - Robert K. Merton

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Unintended consequence: What causes this phenomenon ►