I see a sort of duality, for lack of a better way to explain. First off, there is the thought or belief system that has the ripple-effect, idea. Meaning, basically, if you throw a stone into a body of water you see the ripple-effect and that same idea is used to explain that any move we make effects something on some level that effects another thing and so on and so on.
Then there is the opposite end of this argument. Taking this stand, I will use my answer as the explanation.
Nothing I ever do. Nothing will mean SQUAT to anyone living or dead ever. So, why pick just one thing?