Everyone witnesses accidental events. However, only a sagacious mind can transform seemingly arbitrary events to its benefit. Keeping that in mind, I would define ‘Serendipity’ as an aptitude for recognizing what appears to be a random occurrence and directly/indirectly using it to make a discovery. I believe, except in the rare cases, no human being is born with this aptitude or sagacity; it has to be achieved through hard work and perseverance. Only then will one be able to experience serendipity. Most of science’s discoveries have serendipitous roots. Would Alexander Fleming have discovered Penicillin had he not taken notice that the mold (Penicillium) had destroyed the surrounding colonies of bacteria that he was conducting research on? No. Any other person would have probably discarded that slide of bacteria.
Thomas Jefferson rightly said "I am a great believer of luck, and I find that the harder I work, the more I have of it". I believe that hard work and sagacity go hand in hand. Diligence gives birth to a keen mind and a sound judgment based on knowledge and experience.Serendipity is often confused with luck, coincidence and fluke. While the above concepts might have a role to play in a discovery, being prepared is the key. So, when opportunity does knock, the chances of successfully realizing and taking advantage of the situation are significantly increased. According to Shakespeare, "All things are ready if our minds be so."
I really enjoyed the quotes you used in this post. This post was very well written and I found your word choice to be excellent. Your definition of "serendipity" has a lot of truth in it. One cannot simply wait around for a discovery to fall into their lap. It is through the constant process of hard work that one will often times find more than they hoped to find. Once again, great job on your post. I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDelete--Geoving J. Gerard II G5
I like how you used several quotes that support your post; they made your argument clearer and added details to it at the same time. I agree with you on the fact that serendipity requires some aspect of hard work, because the harder you work the more chance you will have to experience the serendipity. Discoveries can be seen as a serendipitious events but I personally think they lean towards more of hard work compared to the other kinds of serendipities that can happen.
ReplyDelete-Sally Park
I liked how well thought out this essay was. Your examples of serendipitous discoveries really help support your point of how serendipity requires preparedness. The quotes really bring the point home. I do agree with your view on serendipity, as i think it does require hard work and preparation. Maybe you could include another example to help illustrate your point. I also think you should try to keep your essay in the same font/size, as it does not look as professional with two different font sizes. Overall, good work, i like it,
ReplyDelete-Luca Farsi