Epilogue from a book: Pek van Andel & Danièle Bourcier “C’est quoi la sérendipité ? 80 découvertes dues au hasard qui ont bouleversé le cours de l’histoire”

At the end of this journey, through stories drawn from such diverse realms, serendipity emerges as a thread of communication between people, cultures, and generations. It activates a universal language where curiosity, adventure, and sometimes humor intertwine without pretense, leveling knowledge and skills to benefit innovation and creativity. Everyone can access it, provided the conditions to do so are made available. Serendipity, therefore, must hold a significant place in education and lifelong learning. Let us recall several ways to cultivate it.
The Greek poet Posidippus wrote a famous epigram about the sculpture of Kairos, the god of the opportune moment, which captures the essence of seizing opportunities:
“Who created you?””From Sikyon.”
“Your sculptor’s name?””Lysippos.”
“And you?””I am Kairos, tamer of all.”
“Why are you poised on tiptoe?””I run without stopping.”
“What of the wings at your ankles?””They show that I wander, flying.”
“And the razor in your hand?””It reminds people I am sharper than any blade.”
“Why is your hair long over your face?””So that I can be seized when encountered.”
“And your bald head?””To ensure no one catches me from behind.”
“For what purpose were you sculpted like this?””To teach you, stranger, and remind you of the value of the fleeting moment.”
Erasmus includes, in his Adagia, an epigram by Ausonius in which Kairos says:
“I am the god Opportunity, rarely seen and only recognized by a few.
— Why do you hide your face with your hair?
— I do not wish to be recognized. […] And you, while you were asking me these questions and wasting your time with your vain curiosity, did you realize that you let me slip away?”

The Garden of Kairos

We have seen that chance often plays an important role in discoveries, but it is primarily the sense of opportunity and intuition of the “just moment” (the kairos, as Nietzsche called it) that are the keys to serendipity. As the renowned German physicist Max von Laue observed, “There is often merit without happiness, but never happiness without merit.”
These fortunate accidents only occur to those who are prepared. Those who, through prolonged effort, have reached the brink of discovery and who, having devoted their lives to mastering a science or an art, are ready to grasp unexpected solutions or even new questions that suddenly emerge. A chance occurrence may knock the fruit from the tree, but “only because the fruit had ripened slowly and was already about to fall.” It is sometimes chance that seems to sow the seed of decisive progress or “disruptive” discovery, but the seed can only germinate in soil cultivated by hard work and talent.

Paths of Creation

To make knowledge flourish, the ground must be prepared. Yet, education often stops at transmitting knowledge—the accumulated results of others’ experiences and predecessors’ achievements. In this process, the learner’s mistakes are often unwelcome, and only the “correct answer” is valued—a model of “convergent thinking.” Thus, children, apprentices, and young researchers are trained to replicate past outcomes rather than adapt knowledge or explore new paths to discovery.
Divergent thinking, by contrast, encourages the generation of multiple ideas from the same starting point. To create, invent, or discover—essentially, to be ready for serendipity—one must also abandon stereotypes and certainties, doubt prevailing currents, and, at times, even question what has already been learned. The most provocative aspect of serendipity—and the source of its critiques—is that it requires both great strength and profound humility from those who engage with it.
We have highlighted in our narratives the naivety, risk-taking, and persistence displayed by individuals striving to understand situations that resisted conventional or even revolutionary interpretations. Some emerged scarred and misunderstood, while others found the same passion driving those learning and sharing skills in today’s collaborative spaces like fab labs. Serendipity is not without risk—it overturns the traditional scientific sequence of hypothesis and proof. In this paradigm, the hypothesis arises unexpectedly from observing data. In the era of big data, serendipity may find a renewed legitimacy.

The Moral of the Story

Serendipity must now be embraced wholeheartedly in schools and organizations. While discovery cannot be guaranteed, conditions favorable to the unexpected can be nurtured. As in La Fontaine’s fable The Farmer and His Sons, the treasure lies not elsewhere but in the act of seeking—in the method (the path) and the action (the labor). The fable’s lesson can be reframed: the most valuable outcomes are not always what was originally sought.
French philosopher François Flahault identified three attitudes favorable to serendipity in tales and legends: turning a poisoned gift into something fruitful, seeking uniqueness and ingenuity rather than mere imitation, and fostering spontaneity instead of focusing solely on assigned goals. Lao Tzu’s wise adage, “With less, one finds; with too much, one is lost,” advocates returning to simplicity for self-fulfillment—a theme that resonates deeply in many stories of serendipity.
– This epilogue is published with the kind permission of Pek van Andel, a leading researcher and pioneer in the field of serendipity. Known for his groundbreaking work in exploring the paradox of accidental discoveries (serendipiteit), his insights continue to inspire and deepen our understanding of how unexpected observations can lead to transformative innovations.
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Serendipitor

One could describe me as an Explorer of my personal life, since I have been there – seen that, so many fascinating topics and projects over the past decades. I am the founder or co-founder of seven different companies since 1984 .- one could use the term “serial entrepreneur”, but I personally don’t like to be called that way. I believe that my life is a journey – and even though it sometimes looks like I am wandering around, I have a solid feeling that I am not lost. Read more

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