So where did Serendipity come from?
Serendipity was coined by Robert Walpole in a letter to Sir Horace Mann about an ancient Persian fairy tale, "The Three Princes of Serendip." Walpole was a man of many trades, serving as a politician, writer, architect, and an overall intellectual. Though it does not diminish his brilliance by any means, Robert Walpole did not roll out of bed one day determined to give a name to the concept of Serendipity. His definition, which has branched off immensely, was not meant to be a definition at all, but a mere observation. To understand his logic, you must be familiar with The Three Princes of Serendip, the main subject of his letter. The King of Serendip had three sons, as you can see from the title, and he feels their education should be more adventurous. To do this, he sends them out into the world to experience real life lessons. At one point they find a lost camel and receive a treasure as thanks. Walpole's letter read:
"It was once when I read a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of: for instance, one of them discovered that a camel blind of the right eye had traveled the same road lately, because the grass was eaten only on the left side, where it was worse than on the right—now do you understand serendipity?" A big concept in Walpole's defintion that has been somewhat lost in the evolution of the word is the connection between serendipity and sagacity, which brings us to our next point...
"It was once when I read a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of: for instance, one of them discovered that a camel blind of the right eye had traveled the same road lately, because the grass was eaten only on the left side, where it was worse than on the right—now do you understand serendipity?" A big concept in Walpole's defintion that has been somewhat lost in the evolution of the word is the connection between serendipity and sagacity, which brings us to our next point...
Sagacity and Serendipity/ Pseudoserendipity
Sagacity: the quality of being sagacious
Okay that doesn't really help...Sagacious: having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement; shrewd.
Two scientists on our quote page, one by Louis Pasteur and one by Paul Flory, explain in a way connecting to their fields that in order to recognize the importance of serendipitous events and to make the best use of them, one must be wise and have experience. People disregard phenomenal cases of serendipity everyday because they don't take time to acknowledge their potential.
Pseudoserendipity is a word coined by Royston M.Roberts, a Chemistry Professor at the University of Austin, Texas and the author of "Sernedipity, Accidental Discoveries in Science"." He felt that many hardworking, brilliant scientists were being credited more for their mistakes then their knowledge, which was shameful. Charles Goodyear for example spent years of his life searching for a way to make the perfect rubber for his tires. Because this product was created when he dropped a rubber on a stove with sulfur on it, the discovery is attributed to that one second of unbalance and not his years of exploration.
Okay that doesn't really help...Sagacious: having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement; shrewd.
Two scientists on our quote page, one by Louis Pasteur and one by Paul Flory, explain in a way connecting to their fields that in order to recognize the importance of serendipitous events and to make the best use of them, one must be wise and have experience. People disregard phenomenal cases of serendipity everyday because they don't take time to acknowledge their potential.
Pseudoserendipity is a word coined by Royston M.Roberts, a Chemistry Professor at the University of Austin, Texas and the author of "Sernedipity, Accidental Discoveries in Science"." He felt that many hardworking, brilliant scientists were being credited more for their mistakes then their knowledge, which was shameful. Charles Goodyear for example spent years of his life searching for a way to make the perfect rubber for his tires. Because this product was created when he dropped a rubber on a stove with sulfur on it, the discovery is attributed to that one second of unbalance and not his years of exploration.
Our Skit.
Below is the skit we recited during the beginning of our presentation. It tells the story of The Three Princes of Serendip, the story from where the word serendipity originates.
R:In a land called Serendippo, a long time ago, Lived 3 princes, the sons of a king, and so...
B:The 3 young princes went forth in the land In search of glory and treasure to have in their hand.
S: While traveling along the princes found suffering and hardship But also, quite unexpectedly, great happiness and friendship.
R: This great and wonderful good was found in the most unlikely situations and places So the 3 princes searched and searched in all sorts of spaces.
B: They followed a camel's footsteps and they did observe Something that really threw them a curve.
S: Grass on the right that was green as could be But only grass on the left was eaten up, you see.
R: This camel clearly was blind since the good grass he did not eat And the princes noticed that he did drag one of his feet.
B: Even though the camel was hidden from view The princes were sure that this camel someone knew.
S: Along came a man, who said to the three
VD: "I've found a camel who was wandering free".
R: The princes were right, this camel was near They were telling the truth, for all who could hear.
B:Upon their return home after traveling farThe princes told the king all that they saw.
S: They decided to coin a word to tell what they knewThat unexpectedly one can find what's pleasant and new
R:This word is serendipity, the princes thoughtTo describe what is good even though not sought.
R:In a land called Serendippo, a long time ago, Lived 3 princes, the sons of a king, and so...
B:The 3 young princes went forth in the land In search of glory and treasure to have in their hand.
S: While traveling along the princes found suffering and hardship But also, quite unexpectedly, great happiness and friendship.
R: This great and wonderful good was found in the most unlikely situations and places So the 3 princes searched and searched in all sorts of spaces.
B: They followed a camel's footsteps and they did observe Something that really threw them a curve.
S: Grass on the right that was green as could be But only grass on the left was eaten up, you see.
R: This camel clearly was blind since the good grass he did not eat And the princes noticed that he did drag one of his feet.
B: Even though the camel was hidden from view The princes were sure that this camel someone knew.
S: Along came a man, who said to the three
VD: "I've found a camel who was wandering free".
R: The princes were right, this camel was near They were telling the truth, for all who could hear.
B:Upon their return home after traveling farThe princes told the king all that they saw.
S: They decided to coin a word to tell what they knewThat unexpectedly one can find what's pleasant and new
R:This word is serendipity, the princes thoughtTo describe what is good even though not sought.
