Serendipity

For other uses, see Serendipity (disambiguation).
"Happy accident" redirects here. For other uses, see Happy Accidents.
Horace Walpole
by Joshua Reynolds
Robert K. Merton 1965

Serendipity is an unplanned fortunate discovery.[1] The term was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754.

The concept is often associated with scientific and technological breakthroughs, where accidental discoveries led to new insights or inventions. For example, many significant discoveries in history, such as penicillin, Post-it notes, Viagra, or the microwave, arose from unforeseen circumstances that were then recognized and capitalized upon.[2][3][4]

While in popular usage often understood as a matter of pure chance, scientific discussions emphasize the crucial role of human agency—recognizing, interpreting, and acting upon unexpected opportunities. This interaction between chance and conscious action has been a key theme in areas such as creativity, leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship.[5][6][7]

Christian Busch views serendipity as "active luck", where chance encounters and human action come together. A missed flight or a casual walk in the park can lead to new friendships, interests, or even career opportunities.[8][5]

  1. ^ "Serendipity". Oxford Living Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  2. ^ de Rond, M. (2014). ‘The structure of serendipity’. Culture and Organization, 20, 342–58
  3. ^ Copeland, S. (2018). "'Fleming leapt on the unusual like a weasel on a vole': challenging the paradigms of discovery in science". Perspectives on Science 26, pp. 694–721.
  4. ^ Vuong, Quan-Hoang (2022). A New Theory of Serendipity: Nature, Emergence and Mechanism. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9788366675582.
  5. ^ a b "Christian Busch: The Serendipity Mindset: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck". Next Big Idea Club. Book: New York: Penguin Random House 2020.
  6. ^ Dew, N. (2009). "Serendipity in entrepreneurship". Organization Studies 30, pp. 735–753.
  7. ^ Race, T. M. and Makri, S. (2016). Accidental Information Discovery: Cultivating Serendipity in the Digital Age. London: Elsevier.
  8. ^ Busch, Christian (2024-05-01). "Towards a Theory of Serendipity: A Systematic Review and Conceptualization". Journal of Management Studies. 61 (3): 1110–1151. doi:10.1111/joms.12890. ISSN 0022-2380.