By Daniel Serrano
The word Serendipite represents the discovery accidentally, or something that has much value to awaken us, or that is useful. It may also mean the discovery (also accidental) of something that we should be nice.
The word was created in the eighteenth century by English writer Horace Walpole, in a letter he wrote to his friend Horace Mann, who then lived in Florence.
The reason the letter was the discovery of a painting of the Countess of Tuscany, Bianca Capello: The content of the letter was:
“This discovery is the type that I call Serendipite, a very expressive word that I’ll try to explain, since I have nothing better to do: you will understand it better by its origin rather than by definitions. I read a instead, a story called “The Three Princes of Serendip”: In it, Their Highnesses held continuous discoveries on his travels. Discovered by accident and sagacity, of things that at first they were not seeking. For example, one finds that a mule blind of the right eye was always on the edge of the road on the left side, since there was grass that has been eaten. Understands now Serendipity? ”
In the letter, he referred to the tale “The Three Princes of Serendip (Serendip was, on occasion, the name of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka). The three princes do, throughout the narrative of the story several accidental discoveries. Likewise, end up getting rid of problems, difficulties and come to win gifts, gifts and donations, always by accident.
In English it is customary to spell “Serendipity” while in Portuguese to use the forms Serendipity, Serendipity or Serendipite. Many of the misspelled as “Serendipiti. It is a neologism that refers to lucky discoveries made, apparently by accident.
The term is always used by scientists when any positive finding comes from an experiment whose goal originally had another purpose.
Examples of discovery “serendipiticas” are: the Principle of Archimedes (Eureka. .. Eureka ….), Penicillin, Teflon, Nylon, Safety Glass, X-rays and Dynamite.
Recently it has been used in Psychology, Management and Marketing. And, of course (since it is very difficult to describe or find a synonym with the same meaning), soon will become part of colloquial language.
The French scientist Louis Pasteur said “Chance favors only the prepared mind.”
