Skip to main content

Definitions

Often the best way to start is to go to the dictionary.

The American Heritage Dictionary says:
co·in·ci·dence (kō-ĭn'sĭ-dəns, -dĕns')
n.
  1. The state or fact of occupying the same relative position or area in space.
  2. A sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged.
Webster's:
Main Entry: co·in·ci·dence
Pronunciation: kO-'in(t)-s&-d&n(t)s, -s&-"den(t)s
Function: noun
1 : the act or condition of coinciding : CORRESPONDENCE
2 : the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection

The second definition in each is probably the most relevant for us. The operative words in both are "seem(s)" and "accident(al)." "Seems" implies that someone is making a judgment about the event. "Accidental" would imply no visible cause and effect. So we could say by definition that a coincidence is something open to interpretation. Geez- it's ambiguous already. And we've hardly started.

I found this reference on many pages when looking it up on Google:

A coincidence is a surprising concurrence of events, perceived as meaningfully related, with no apparent causal connection (Diaconis and Mosteller 1989). Diaconis, P. and Mosteller, F. ``Methods of Studying Coincidences.'' J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 84, 853-861, 1989.

Now we've added the word "surprising" which springboards it into a whole new level. Not only are we judging about how the events are connected, but we have a reaction to the coincidence itself.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Types of Coincidences

There seems to be different types of coincidences, and/or levels of intensity. Some coincidences seem random or insignificant- for example, you hear a song on the radio and you turn the station only to hear the same song playing. This we might call a low-level coincidence. Another coincidence could be flying to another, faraway country and running into your old next-door neighbor, who is getting into the same cab you are with the same destination. Each would have different levels of significance for us. Going back to our definitions, it would be related to how surprised we are at the events. The more surprising it is to us, the more intense the coincidence. You wouldn't be very surprised that two stations are playing the same song, especially if the song is currently popular. It would be different if it was an obscure, old song. What are the odds? One night I was listening to a radio show at home (which I rarely do) that was playing a very eclectic mix of music. At one point the D...
Post a Comment
Read more

Don't Have a Bird

Some coincidences are mental, not actual events. We think about something and then something else happens that is similar to the thought. Sometimes this is perhaps the mind putting two things together after the fact, creating a connection that wasn't necessarily there. Or, it could be precognition of an upcoming event. Or, perhaps, the second event is caused by our thought- what we might call manifestation. What are the odds? On Friday as I was driving on the highway I remembered, for some reason, an incident that happened a few years ago that I haven't thought about for a long time. I've only hit two birds with my car that I can remember. They occurred a few months from each other and, coincidentally , on the same stretch of highway within a mile of each other. Both times the bird hit my windshield. I thought about those incidents and then, ten minutes later, I hit a bird with my windshield.
Post a Comment
Read more

Traveling

A lot of coincidences can happen while travelling. Because you're away from familiar surroundings they can be even more noticeable. I've had many of varying degrees. One of the most striking happened a few years ago. Our daughter was moving from Seattle back to the Midwest. We flew there to drive her car back while she and her fiance drove the U-haul. My wife and I decided to take the scenic route and drive through the Cascades, leaving just before lunch. The other two had things to do and would leave in the next 24 hours taking I-90. My wife and I took our time and did some sight-seeing. We decided to stop in Billings for the night. We got there late in the afternoon and had trouble finding our hotel. At one point I went West on the Interstate for about 2 miles to the next exit. We gave up and stayed in a different hotel. When we got home a few days later we saw our daughter who at one point told us that her fiance said to her, "I thought I just saw your parents drivin...
Post a Comment
Read more