Coincidences
- Unexpected alignments of events that may seem meaningful to the people involved.
- Apparent relationships between events without established causal links.
- Can be common and sometimes offer practical clues (for example in medicine) or be interpreted as synchronicity.
Definition
Section titled “Definition”A coincidence is a seemingly unlikely or fortuitous occurrence of events that appear to be related but are not necessarily causally related.
Explanation
Section titled “Explanation”Coincidences are surprising events that can carry personal significance for those who experience them. Their apparent meaningfulness does not by itself establish a causal connection between the events. The perceived unlikelihood of a coincidence can be affected by population size and probability: for example, in a group the chance of shared attributes increases with the number of individuals. Some interpret coincidences as synchronicity—the belief that events are interconnected in a meaningful way. Coincidences can also have practical implications; in some contexts they may provide useful information or clues.
Examples
Section titled “Examples”Shared birthday
Section titled “Shared birthday”Two people who have never met before share the same birthday. This may seem unlikely at first glance, but when considering the large population of people in the world, the likelihood of this coincidence increases. In fact, the probability of two people sharing the same birthday in a group of 23 or more individuals is over 50%.
Serendipitous discovery of personally significant media
Section titled “Serendipitous discovery of personally significant media”A person randomly comes across a book or movie that has personal significance to them. For instance, a person may be browsing a bookstore and come across a book that they have been searching for but never knew existed. This coincidence may be a sign of synchronicity, or the belief that events are interconnected in a meaningful way.
Use cases
Section titled “Use cases”- Medicine: Coincidences can sometimes provide valuable information for diagnosing and treating patients. For example, a patient may present with symptoms that seemingly have no explanation, but a coincidence in their medical history or family history may provide a clue for the physician.
Related terms
Section titled “Related terms”- Synchronicity
- Probability
- Causality
- Medicine