Word of the day: synchronicity
Some of my friends use this word quite a lot, but I confess that I’ve never been sure what it meant. I looked it up on Answers.com here. As a result, I’m no clearer. Any offers?
Some of my friends use this word quite a lot, but I confess that I’ve never been sure what it meant. I looked it up on Answers.com here. As a result, I’m no clearer. Any offers?
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I define it as the coming together of seemingly unrelated events at a moment that creates an unexpectedly beneficial outcome… not sure if that helps and it is a crude definition, but a first stab 🙂
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Thanks for that, Jen.
Now I have two more questions:
1) In a situation of synchronicity, are the events related or not and, if they are, how?
2) Is synchronicity different from serendipity and, if so, how?
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:57 am
In answer to both questions, serendipity relates to discoveries while synchronicity is, IMHO, related to events conspiring – as if coordinated by some unseen hand! – to create a positive, fortuitous outcome. The events may be unrelated at a surface level, but they may prove to be catalysts that cause an occurrence without being directly involved in that occurrence.
As you know so well, many films are based on this exact premise!
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Thanks, Jen.
Of course, when things happen in the movies, they are part of the script and created by the scriptwriter.
In the case of real life, is synchronicity any more than coincidence and, if it is, how does one know which event is synchronicity and which is coincidence?
October 26th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Ah yes, I had understood that scriptwriters were involved in the film world!
Depending on the definition you choose of coincidence, it can either be the random occurrence of events with no causality or a seemingly random occurrence with an unexplained causality.
If one chooses the latter definition, then there is a great deal of overlap between coincidences and synchronicity; if one chooses the former definition, then there is considerably less overlap.
And as to the choice of definition? Well, I suspect that is a result of one’s subjective world view! Which brings us full circle, as King Lear would say!