What Does Serendipity Mean? It Favors the Informed

What Does Serendipity Mean? Luck Favors the Informed

Updated May 08, 2024

Introduction

Serendipity, often understood as a fortunate happenstance or a pleasant surprise, has a deeper dimension for those who are well-informed. The adage “Luck favours the informed” encapsulates that preparation, awareness, and knowledge can significantly increase one’s chances of encountering favourable outcomes. This concept holds in personal life and investing, where being well-informed can convert seemingly random opportunities into strategic advantages.

They were being informed in personal life, which means staying updated on various aspects that affect daily decisions, from health and wellness to career opportunities. For instance, someone who regularly reads about the latest health trends might stumble upon a new diet or exercise regimen that drastically improves their well-being. Similarly, staying informed about industry developments can lead to unexpected career advancements. Employees who keep up with their field’s latest trends might find themselves ideally positioned for a surprise promotion or a lucrative job offer.

In investing, being informed can mean the difference between capitalizing on a market trend and missing out. For example, during the early days of the cryptocurrency boom, those who educated themselves about blockchain technology and market signals could make informed investments that yielded substantial returns. Another instance is the Wall Street Bets movement, where retail investors, armed with information and driven by shared interests, challenged institutional investors by strategically investing in heavily shorted stocks like GameStop.

These examples illustrate that serendipity is not just about random good fortune but often results from being prepared and knowledgeable. Whether in personal life or investing, staying informed equips individuals to recognize and seize opportunities that might otherwise pass unnoticed.

Serendipity: The Informed Make Their Luck

Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts. Always keep your body filled with light and heat.

Fill yourself with the power of wisdom and enlightenment…

Morihei Ueshiba

Our individual journeys take us into unexpected situations where we encounter a wide

variety of people—some quite like ourselves and others very different. We cannot

anticipate these meetings, but we can make the most of them when they occur.

When we are open-minded in assessing the individuals whose lives briefly

touch our own, we are more apt to stumble upon unexpected gems of wisdom that open

us to new worlds of possibility. Every person we meet can affect us profoundly, just as

every situation we find ourselves in can teach us something new. We do not

judge, just as we do not wish to be judged. We are in a space of unconditional positive

regard—open heart, open mind– ready and willing to receive without bias. We are

grateful for every lesson because it moves us forward on the path to enlightenment.

In everything there is a lesson and a gift.

This is the essence of luck: Chance favours the prepared mind.

The same applies to trading. Every moment in the market is unique. Every trade is an

opportunity to learn, to grow, to gain wisdom and to embrace acceptance.

To fully appreciate this, it is essential to acknowledge that each trade can expand our horizons. Because we are dealing with probabilities in a

complex adaptive system, we never know when the truth will be revealed. But—we

certainly do know it when we see it.

If we are able to approach each trade with non-attachment to the outcome, then each trade

becomes our teacher. In this way, we do not judge ourselves, rather we learn from

everything we do. This is how we grow—both as traders and as human beings.

Just as every person is unique and has something to teach us, so does every trade. By

making an effort to adopt a positive attitude toward others at all times, we ensure that

our emotions do not blind us to the wisdom that may be lurking in difficult or distressing

situations. We are then open and receptive to knowledge that comes to us in the form of

examples, advice, and direct teaching.

As with trades, brief human encounters have the potential to enrich our lives in a very

concrete way. The wisdom we gain is proportional to the attention we pay. It is our

responsibility as traders to maintain a state of awareness that allows us to recognize

when we are in the presence of knowledge that will change us significantly. When we

open our minds and hearts to the potential for unexpected enlightenment, we make a

the habit of turning strangers into friends, of seeing failed trades as our best teachers, and

ensuring that we are never without a magnificent fountain of enlightenment that will

enrich and nourish us.

Knowing others is wisdom, and knowing yourself is enlightenment… Lao Tzu

Thanks, and Good Trading!

Biography

Janice Dorn, M.D., Ph.D. received a Ph.D. in Anatomy (Neuroanatomy) from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Dr Janice Dorn has written over 1,000 articles on trading psychology and behavioural finance. Dr. Dorn is dedicated to providing education and training about how the brain, psychology and emotions impact financial decision-making. Janice is an advocate for the elderly, a lifelong dancer and a pianist. Her website is: www.mindmoneymarkets.com