Many praised it, but apparently not enough. Hence, this post.

Serendipity is “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for”.

I think serendipity is important in life. I believe that, in many situations, the more “personalized” an experience is, the least real, or useful, it is. The current polarization in politics, for example, is also due to not enough serendipity in people’s life. Especially since when it become digital.

So, this morning I instinctively decided to search if and what has been specifically said “in praise of serendipity”. It turns out there are a lot of essays, posts, articles… with this very title. In the public interest, here is a list of those that may be the most interesting ones. Please read them, or anything else on the subject, really, and then do aim for more serendipity in your life.

Short serendipity reading list

(you are encouraged to submit other entries!)

In deliberately mixed order:

• “All you really need to know about serendipity is that it’s responsible for penicillin”
• In Praise of (Electronic) Serendipity
• Even the best lines can’t guarantee you’ll get the girl
• God’s Sneaky Surprises
• Social media should encourage chance encounters, not customised experiences
• From Zoom Fatigue to Serendipity