Teachings

What does “serendipity” mean to you?

It’s connected with Charles Sanders Peirce’s idea of what constitutes an invention. He introduces the concept of “abduction”. Two Peircian scholars, Bonfantini and Proni, have identified three types of abduction which I feel are closely related to the concept of “serendipity”. The first type is connected with the concept of “play”. As pointed out by Umberto Eco, though, a distinction has to be made here between the two English terms that describe recreational activity, namely “game” and “play”. A game implies competition and hence winners and losers. Not so play. What we’re referring to here, then, is play –  that’s to say the action of freeing the mind from any purposeful intent beyond that of actively pursuing pleasure, possibly by getting one’s body and senses involved in the action, just like in dancing. The second aspect to bear in mind is related to the concept of “bricoleur” as used by Claude Lévi-Strauss in his book, “The Savage Mind”. It refers to a person straying about in the jungle and filling her knap-sack with all sorts of bric-à-brac picked up along the way. Back home in the evening she empties out the contents of her bag and observes the patterns of scattered objects she’s collected on the table. This is without a doubt an effective way for eliciting a creative response.

Finally, there’s also an element of folly to be considered, a concept dear to Erasmus. It’s what allows us to break out of the constraints of what is routine and standard, an essential prerequisite to creativity. Abduction, that is to say invention, which is essentially what serendipity is all about, revolves around these concepts.

Why do you think it’s become such a catch-word of late?

It’s because modernity’s placed cognition and nothing but up front, overloading the mind with rationality, intentionality, and concepts. Stuffed up with so much intellectuality, there’s little room left for anything new to break in; there’s no more empty space available.

So you’re saying the search is on for new ways of overcoming the stalemate burdening modernity?

Talking about abduction, which is at the core of serendipity, I’m reminded of what Bergson had to say about modernity and modern-day science, of which he so succinctly grasped the essence. According to Bergson, the human intellect finds itself at ease with the geometrical. That’s because the logic of solids essentially reflects the inner workings of the human mind. Geometry allows us to measure solids and to conceptually grasp them. Not so water, which is continually swishing and swirling about, just as life is. With this insight in mind, I think the concept of “vital momentum” goes well with that of “abduction”; both point to movement and discontinuity that require impetus to be overcome.

Can serendipity apply to all aspects of life, do you think?

It’s to do with what life teaches us, I think. Whatever one’s undertaking, one’s got to love what one’s doing, no matter what the outcome may be. That’s how one can find real accomplishment, real wealth. Doing something one enjoys doing means relieving and opening the mind, which also means being more receptive and responsive when one hits upon something novel and unprecedented.

Do you think concepts like “movement”, “information exchange”, and “experience sharing” typical of multicultural societies are somehow akin to serendipity?

Having a free, open and unencumbered mind means being highly flexible, not being afraid of diversity, of flux and flow, or of any other unexpected event. It’s indeed a prerequisite for serendipity.

So you reckon renewed impetus, innovative solutions, original ideas for the future are favoured when the going gets tough, do you?

Of course, and that’s why hard times are a hotbed for the growth of serendipity. I’m not saying poverty’s cool. But there’s no doubt that hardships are thought provoking, so to speak. When things are running smoothly, freeing the mind of preconceptions isn’t easier than when they aren’t. That’s not to say that something new has got to be invented every time. One’s simply to look around with even just a mild dose of curiosity to start perceiving loads of novelties strewn all over the place.

Serendipity is closely linked to personal experience and is hence perhaps not accessible to everybody. What do you think?

Could be. In theory, the world of serendipity is open to everyone. The visa for getting in though is curiosity. That and a desire for the thrill of exploration and discovery. Without wonder-lust one doesn’t get very far.

If you were to talk to children about serendipity, what would you tell them?

I’d tell them to put a lot of personal commitment into whatever they’re doing. It’s essential that they do whatever they’re doing passionately, preferably leaving aside interests of material gain.

interview by Marco Minuz