Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

rmilitello's picture

Serendipity

I think that allowing for serendipity does in fact increase happiness. It seems to me that the more you look for happiness the more difficult it is to find. Most of the time I am not satisfied with what I have because I  am always thinking that I could have done something better. Usually when I try and plan things out that will increase my happiness it never works. When something good happens unexpectedly I feel that I am much more grateful for it because I didn't see it coming. I think that allowing for serendipity also allows one to live in the moment and appreciate things as they happen. I know that if I am always thinking about what comes next and what is going to make me happy in the future I forget about what is making me happy in the present. I am the kind of person that always plans things out, I don't seem to want to let serendipity play a role in my life. I feel this constant need for something to happen as soon as I think of it, and what is even worse is I want to know the outcome of things immediately. Though, perhaps if I did not plan things out so much, things may happen that I might not expect, and good surprises are so much more satisfying when they go unspoiled.

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
1 + 8 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.