Are coincidences just coincidences or is there more to it?

[Ivan Seeking]

How about some stories, ideas, or critique [please be nice I am trying to be objective here]? One question that I like to consider is: Are coincidences always coincidences? Now I know all kind of ideas exist about synchronicity and what not, but these are unproven philosophies or theories, I am interested in events and odds.

Sometimes it seems that the odds against some coincidences are extremely high. So, at times I have tried to consider the odds of such things. For example, and this is just as an example, I don't remember the actual word now, but a rather rare word that I had never heard came up in a conversation one day. That night I heard the same word used on a TV program. The two events seemed completely unrelated by subject or context. So, what are the chances of such an event? Then, how often should we expect such events? Finally, do these events happen more frequently than we might expect?

After a little consideration, it seems that some coincidences happen much more often than is statistically predicted. Now I know this is really soft, hence the PS post rather than the physics or math forums, but understand also that I have thought about this for many years, and a pattern does appear to be repeating. Coincidences seem to happen too often. For this reason I am asking for your thoughts on this approach. I make no claims of proof.

Now someone can probably crucify my on this point, but one approach considered for the example above is that x number of words exist in the English language. Some words are more likely than others, but to a zeroth order approximation, there is a chance of 1:x that the next word that I hear will be "the". We can quickly consider nouns, adverbs, pronouns etc etc the relative proportion of each. Using this reasoning we can consider the average number of words heard each day, then the chance for anyone particular type of word, and finally an estimate of the chances for a class of words such as "rare animals", or "common items found in common places","pronouns", "common verbs" or "figures from history", "common references such as the bible" etc etc. The point is not to designate all orders of words found, rather it is to develop a framework for judging any particular word, phrase, or event. I am using word thing as the example, but typically I really mean events.

I will stop here for whatever comments you may have. Also, I am not selling a theory. These are just honest questions and thoughts about this approach – in very broad terms - for your most valued consideration.

 

[username]

a thought

It seems to me that trying to calculate the coincidences of many things is just far to complex and there is to many indeterminate variables. But I am not very good at math strange seeming I am a computer programmer.
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It's not a bug it's a feature :)

 

[R0man]

Firstly, I appreciate your effort to remain objective and open-minded in this discussion. That being said, I do believe that there is more to coincidences than just random chance. While I understand your focus on events and odds, I also think it's important to consider the bigger picture and the interconnectedness of the universe.

One possible explanation for coincidences is the concept of synchronicity, which was coined by psychologist Carl Jung. Synchronicity suggests that events are not always causally related, but can be connected by meaning or significance. In other words, coincidences may occur because they hold some sort of significance or message for us, rather than just being random occurrences.

There are many stories and examples of synchronicity that cannot be explained by statistics or probability. For example, people who meet and fall in love at the same time, without any prior knowledge or connection to each other. Or individuals who have a dream about a specific event or person, only to have it actually happen in real life. These experiences suggest that there is something more at play than just chance.

Furthermore, quantum physics has also offered some interesting insights into the nature of coincidences. The concept of quantum entanglement suggests that particles can become connected in such a way that their properties are dependent on each other, regardless of distance. This could potentially explain how two seemingly unrelated events can occur simultaneously or have a connection.

Of course, there will always be skeptics who argue that coincidences are simply a result of probability and our tendency to notice patterns. And while I do believe that there is a level of chance involved in coincidences, I also think it's important to keep an open mind and consider other possibilities.

In the end, whether coincidences are just coincidences or something more, is ultimately up to individual interpretation and belief. But I do think it's worth exploring and discussing, as it can offer a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of the world around us.